Farmers demanding a farm loan waiver spilled gallons of milk on the Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar highway
Hundreds of farmers demanding a farm loan waiver spilled gallons of milk on the Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar highway to register their protest. The protesters raised anti-government slogans and vowed to continue with their agitation till their demands were met.
"This is just the beginning of our campaign. We will continue to protest till our demands are met. We have asked the state government to announce farm loan wavers on the lines of Mahrashtra and Uttar Pradesh. Also want the state government to revise minimum support price to the crops for farmers across the state,'' Alpesh Thakore told reporters in Ahmedabad.
Mr Thakore had a few days back asked farmers to boycott supply of milk to cities. On Wednesday farmers associated with his organisation OBC Raksha Manch protested at several places in the state raising anti-government slogans. They later emptied the cans of milk on the highways.
The farmers' leaders claimed that thousands of farmers were debt ridden and were suffering as the government has refused to bail them out. They also alleged that the Narmada water that had been promised to them for irrigation is still to reach them.
The government had however denied the allegation. Senior minister Shanker Chaudhary claimed that the protests were political in nature. "The irrigation water has reached the drought prone areas of Saurashtra and even adequate steps are being taken to revise the minimum support price," Mr Chaudhary said.