Farmer climbs mobile tower to push for sugarcane support price

BELAGAVI: A young farmer Chandru, of Kunigal taluk in Tumakuru district, climbed a mobile tower here on Wednesday and threatened to jump off if the government didn’t announce the minimum support price for sugarcane for this year.
Former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy referred to Chandru’s father Laxman in his speech in the assembly while talking of the plight of the farming community.
The high drama started around 4pm at the mobile tower in front of the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha.As soon as cops spotted Chandra, around 30 years old, they rushed to the spot. DCP (crime) Amaranath Reddy, inspector BR Gaddekar and other senior cops tried to persuade Chandru to come down but he demanded the chief minister make an announcement on sugarcane price.
Meanwhile, Kuningal MLA Nagarajayya tried to pacify the farmer but he ignored everyone. When HD Kumaraswamy came to the spot and spoke to Chandru for more than 10 minutes, the farmer climed down.
JD(S) leader Kumaraswamy said Chandru’s father Laxman had lost his banana crop and his other financial liabilities had become a cause for worry. Bank officials had deducted the loan amount from his crop insurance compensation, he added.