Mahadayi protest: Navalgunda under fire, farmers attempt suicide
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The protests against the Mahadayi Tribunal verdict took an ugly turn today, when protesting farmers decided to destroy Karnataka government property.
As is the usual case in India, the violent mobs do not seem to understand that the damage they are inflicting is to their own 'public' property, which will be repaired or replaced with public funds.
Angry farmers barged into Dharwad city Town Hall and destroyed everything they could lay their hands on. Furniture was damaged and computers were set on fire. The BSNL office also was set ablaze by the protesters, for whom any protest is a handy excuse to indulge in arson and criminal behaviour.
The torched items included two jeeps on the premises of Town Hall. Fire tenders struggled for hours to douse the fire.
Across the district of Dharwad, 80 people have been arrested in Navalagunda and section 144 has been imposed there.
Two youths, Nandeesh Mathad and Chiranthi Math, attempted suicide by consuming poison during the protest at Naragunda in Gadag district. Both the youths have been admitted to Hubballi hospital.
In Hubballi, a farmer tried to jump into a fire, but suffered only minor burns.
In Bengaluru as well, a pro-Kannada activist poured kerosene over his body and tried to set him ablaze, but luckily a crowd was conveniently present to stop him.
