Byadgi chilli prices crash, farmers go on rampage in Karnataka; BJP slams Cong govt
Haveri: Farmers in Karnataka’s Haveri went on a rampage on Monday as prices of the famous Byadgi chilli crop came crashing down at the Byadgi APMC market.
Sources said chilli prices crashed from Rs 20,000 per quintal to Rs 8,000 on Monday.
As soon as the prices were declared, the angry farmers started pelting stones at the APMC office and torched vehicles parked on the premises. Some protesters also barged inside the office and vandalised it, damaging the furniture and breaking glass windows.
Two cars and 10 bikes belonging to APMC staff were gutted in the incident.
The protesters also raised slogans against the officers and vented their ire with further violence, chasing away the fire force and emergency services staff from the premises. At one stage, the farmers had also chased away the police.
Additional police forces were summoned to rein in the situation.
Farmers claimed that the Byadagi chilli which fetched Rs 20,000 per quintal last week had come down to Rs 8,000, and the finest crop fetched Rs 12,000. In 2022, the Byadgi chilli fetched a bumper price of Rs 76,000 per quintal. Byadagi police are investigating the case.
Home Minister G. Parameshwara stated that the government has taken serious note of the incident.
Reacting to the incident, Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka said: “It is a direct consequence of CM Siddaramaiah-led Congress government’s anti-farmer policies and lackadaisical attitude in managing drought situation, which has left the farmers completely dismayed and annoyed. If only the Congress government had addressed the farmers’ issues proactively and distributed sufficient drought relief at the right time, the farmers wouldn’t have taken such a desperate step to vandalise the APMC premises.”
“At least now CM Siddaramaiah should wake up from deep slumber and provide a ‘guarantee of drought relief’ to Annandatas (providers of food). Else, the day is not far when desperate farmers will set ablaze the CM’s residence and Vidhana Soudha,” he added.