Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel, Pralhad Joshi, remarked that the recent incident involving women farmers confronting officials during the Joint Measurement Survey for the proposed Bidadi Township project should serve as a cautionary signal for the Karnataka government. Joshi emphasized that the farmers’ agitation was not a routine protest but a strong expression of their commitment to safeguard their agricultural land, which they consider their “mother earth” and primary source of sustenance.
Joshi criticized the Karnataka government, alleging that its actions to acquire farmers’ land for the Bidadi Township project were overbearing. He highlighted that the anger displayed by the women farmers was indicative of the mounting discontent towards the government’s land acquisition strategies. The Minister condemned the reported use of police force during the protests, stating that coercive tactics to acquire land from farmers were unacceptable and unjust.
The Union Minister accused the government of mismanagement in handling the Bidadi Township project and questioned the necessity of a township that could jeopardize farmers’ livelihoods without their consent. Joshi reiterated his solidarity with the ongoing agitation, emphasizing that the protest in Bidadi resonated with the sentiments of people statewide. He stressed that farmers have the rightful authority over their land and emphasized that no land acquisition should occur without their explicit consent.
