A farmer drank from a bottle that apparently contained pesticide during a protest by sugarcane farmers over higher prices in Gurlapur in Belagavi district on Monday.
Lakkappa Gunagar of Alakanur village in Raybag taluk, who was in the crowd, approached MP Jagadish Shettar and drank from the bottle. Mr. Shettar and others who noticed this immediately rushed him to the hospital. Police said he is recovering.
Mr. Shettar appealed to the farmers not to take such extreme steps. He said their demands were justified and they should continue the protest until their demand is met.
Farmers have been protesting in Gurlapur and other places for 4-5 days now. But the government remained a mute spectator. She took no steps to show solidarity with them. The state government should announce a minimum support price of ₹ 3,500 per tonne, excluding transport and abatement charges. Only then will farmers be able to make a profit, Mr. Shettar said. He claimed that private and cooperative mills in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Haryana are already paying between ₹3,500-4,100 per tonne.
Members of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, Hasiru Sene and Karnataka Sugarcane Farmers Association protested for higher sugarcane prices at several places in Belagavi district. They blocked the Nippani-Mudhol road for some time on Tuesday.
MLA Duryodhan Aihole, activists Ashok Pujari and Bheemappa Gadag, Subash Patil, BJP district president and others visited the site on Tuesday.
Farmer groups staged protests in Athani, Sambra and Bailhongal on Tuesday to raise sugarcane prices.
Published – 03 Nov 2025 21:18 IST
