On Saturday, 6 February, state police officials made rampant preventive arrests of farmers’ leaders across Karnataka and Telangana for staging protests as part of the nationwide Chakka Jam.
Protests were held in all major cities to the south of the Vindhyas – Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Vijayawada and Kochi – to express solidarity with the protesting farmers in Delhi.
While over 40 farmer leaders were detained in Bengaluru, close to a 100 were picked up from different parts of Karnataka, farmers unions claimed. Karnataka police had not recorded arrests when this report was filed.
In Hyderabad, over 25 leaders were detained, farmers unions claimed.
For the past three months, southern farmer leaders have been demanding a repeal of the Union’s farm laws.
In Karnataka, three major farmer unions under the banner of Samyukta Horata, blocked roads near Yelahanka and Airport road. Six major trade unions had also offered their support to the farmers.
Police picked up protesters as…