Maharashtra: Milk farmers demand price hike, say will ensure no milk is brought to state from outside
Even though the strike was scheduled to begin from July 16, matters went out of hand on Sunday after a Nagpur-bound milk tanker was stoned in Amravati district.
Workers of Swabhimani Shetkari Sangathna, a farmers' organisation, stopped milk supplying vehicles near Pune on Monday morning and prevented milk from being supplied to nearby cities.
The organisation is demanding price hike for milk farmers.
''The government says that milk would be brought from other states, especially Gujarat and Karnataka. We'll start a 'Satyagraha' and ensure that no milk is brought to from outside. It's the tactic of the government to disrupt protest,'' said R Shetti, Swabhimani Shetkari Sangathna leader and MP.
Regarding yesterday's Nagpur incident, he said ''Onus of Nagpur incident falls on state government and the police. Protests were to begin at 12 am today but police started detaining workers from yesterday morning. The police also went to farmers' houses and verbally abused women. They reacted. We want to protest peacefully,'' Shetti added.
Even though the strike was scheduled to begin from July 16, matters went out of hand on Sunday after a Nagpur-bound milk tanker was stoned in Amravati district. Ravikant Tupkar, state president of SSS, said, “No milk tanker will be allowed to enter Maharashtra. If someone tries to enter the state under police cover, our activists will create a law and order situation.”