Farmers oppose land acquisition, heavy police force deployed

Tension ran high in Manbela village on the outskirts of Gorakhpur, the home turf of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, as farmers today protested against alleged forced acquisition of their land.
Heavy police force had to be deployed in the area to bring the situation under control as the protesters, including a number of women and children, braving cold weather were out in the open to oppose the action.
Superintendent of Police (North) Ganesh Saha, when contacted, said: "We are only enforcing the high court orders for acquiring the land."
A majority of farmers have already taken the compensation money at the old rate, but were now demanding it as per the new circle rate, which was higher.

Shamim Ahmad, a leader of the farmers, said what they got from the state government as compensation was a meagre sum.
"We believed that after Yogi Adityanath becomes the chief minister, we will get higher compensation as per circle rate, but we are crestfallen," Meena Devi, from Manbela village, lamented.
The farmers' agitation, meanwhile, has taken a political hue after Congress leader Rana Rahul Singh slammed the Gorakhpur Development Authority (GDA) for acquiring the land of farmers and giving them inadequate compensation in return.
"The farmers are being harassed by the GDA which is not giving them adequate compensation for their land. It shows the BJP government's anti-farmer policy," he said.