The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) on Saturday denounced police caning on its activists on Saturday when they took out a procession from Sangli-to-Solapur, protesting land acquisition for the Ratnagiri-Nagpur Highway.
The Solapur police denied the charge.
National AIKS President Ashok Dhawale said over 2,000 farmers from two districts marched 180 km over the last three days to meet Cooperation Minister Subhash Deshmukh.
"The farmers were brutally lathi-charged by the police in the town. Several farmers were injured," Dhawale alleged.
He accused the state government of forcibly acquiring land from farmers for the proposed highway. The farmers have not been given any compensation, though the work has already begun on the project, he said.
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AIKS national general secretary Hannan Mollah warned that if the farmers are immediately called for talks, the agitation will be intensified and the government would be responsible for the consequences.
--IANS
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