Traffic movement on the Bengaluru-Mysuru Highway came to a standstill on Monday, February 20, after scores of villagers blocked the highway. Farmers and residents from the neighbouring villages took to the road at Hanakere in Mandya district for nearly two hours, demanding an underpass. The protestors demanded the construction of an underpass on the highway for their easy movement, stating that accessing and crossing the service road was a difficult task. The farmers parked their bullock carts on the highway and blocked the road.

“We will continue the protest indefinitely, blocking the main highway. Let traffic ply on the service road,” one of the protesters had told The Hindu. According to the report, Mandya Superintendent of Police (SP) N Yathish asked the protestors to withdraw their protest.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials also said that a proposal for the underpass was pending before the Authority. The protesters, however, refused to drop the protest and were forcibly cleared from the place. Police also took two farmer leaders - S C Madhuchandan and Prasanna Gowda into custody.