Twenty-six members of the Nab Nirman Krushak Sangathan (NNKS), a farmers’ body fighting for the cause of farmers in the State, were arrested by the Commissionerate Police for blocking Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s car when it was entering into the State Secretariat here on Tuesday.
The agitators suddenly came running in front of the Chief Minister’s convoy and tried to block the road in front of the Jayadev Bhawan. Flaunting placards and shouting slogans, they lay on the road taking the police for a ride while clearing it. later, the Chief Minister’s convoy changed the route to reach the Secretariat.
According to the Twin City Police Commissioner Dr RP Sharma, the police had taken all measures after getting information about the plan of a group to demonstrate near Naveen Niwas, but on the other hand the agitators created the problem on the way of the Chief Minister to the State Secretariat. “After arresting 26 agitators, we have registered a case against them. This is a criminal incident and we’ll take stringent action against them,” Sharma said.
The same farmers’ body, whose members a few days back had demonstrated in the visitors’ gallery of the State Assembly protesting the Government’s anti-farmer policy, had on Monday served a 24-hour ultimatum to the Government to announce provision of Rs 500 as bonus per quintal of paddy and Rs 2,000 as pension for cyclone Phailin-affected farmers.
Notably, the NNKS members had staged a demonstration in front of the Naveen Niwas and tried to gherao it violating prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC on December 17 last year. As many as 58 persons were arrested in connection with the case.