Bhubaneswar: At least 60 farmers were Wednesday arrested for forcibly trying to enter the office of the CEO to lodge a complaint against political parties accusing them of neglecting farmers, a police officer said.
The farmers agitating under the banner of Naba Nirman Krushak Sangathan (NNKS) clashed with the police when the cops stopped them from meeting the Chief Electoral Officer, he said.
The agitating farmers wanted to meet the CEO. They were told by police to send a delegation to meet the CEO but all of them wanted to meet the CEO. However, police declined to allow all the agitators to enter leading to a clash.
“The NNKS rejected our suggestion to send a delegation to meet the CEO. They did not listen and demanded that all of them will meet the CEO. We had to arrest them. About 60 protesters have been arrested,” said Bhubaneswar DCP, Anup Sahoo.
The NNKS has been agitating in state demanding price, prestige and pension for farmers. They alleged that the leaders did not listen to their demands and went to polls.
“The farmers have come here to ask the Election Commission if the government will give them price, prestige and pension. We did not intend any violence but were stopped by the police. We will not return without speaking to the CEO and placing our demands,” NNKS convenor Akshya Kumar said.
He said farmers would not allow elections if their demands were not fulfilled. The NNKS leader blamed all the political parties. “Parties use us and forget farmers after elections,” Kumar said.