Mahadayi River row: Farmers gather to protest outside BJP office in Bengaluru

Agitating farmers, who have been demanding the release of water from Mahadayi River, have now launched a satyagraha outside the BJP party head office in Bengaluru.

Over 500 farmers from Gadag, Bagalakote, Hubballi and Dharwad landed in Bengaluru on Saturday night and sat outside the Bharatiya Janata Party office in protest.

The farmers expressed their “disappointed over the tone of Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar’s letter to BJP State President BS Yeddyurappa over the Mahadayi water sharing issue.”

On Sunday, the farmers stated that they would not stop the protest unless Yeddyurappa sits down to discuss their issues with them. They have now called for an indefinite dharna.

“We want to ensure that everyone working towards the issue knows that a resolution can be arrived at only if the three governments sit down for talks. Yeddyurappa had promised us that he would resolve the issue a few months back. Now, he has disappointed us, despite knowing that our protest has reached the 834th day,” said Viresh Sobaradhmath, President of the Karnataka Raita Sene.

In addition, the Mahadayi Kalasa Banduri Nala Horata Samanvaya Samiti condemned Yeddyurappa for toying with the farmers’ emotions and making false promises.

“If Parrikar was serious about holding talks, he would have written to the state government, not Yeddyurappa. The very fact that he wrote to Yeddyurappa exposes their intent. We had our hopes pinned on his promise, but he has not lived up to it,” Sobaradhmath added.

The farmers are now stating that the Goa CM, “if he is serious about holding talks”, must set a date for the meeting.

“We will continue our struggle. They think it is alright to get our hopes up and disappoint us. This has gone on for long enough. We will hold protests wherever BJP conventions are held in Karnataka,” he added.

Calling Yeddyurappa’s move “an act of deceiving the farmers”, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that Yeddyurappa’s plan had backfired.

“He (Yeddyurappa) was trying to put on a show to win votes, but the farmers realised that he was only acting and now it has backfired,” CM Siddaramaiah added.

Strongly defending his position, Yeddyurappa, who was at the Parivarthana rally in Haveri, said that his “efforts were true in resolving the Mahadayi issue”.

“I have honestly attempted to resolve the issue in my capacity. I have not deceived the farmers. Instead of protesting in front of the BJP office, the farmers should protest in front of the Congress office,” Yeddyurappa said.