Police on Sunday arrested and court-forwarded six persons for allegedly waylaying Agriculture Minister Pradeep Maharathy’s vehicle at Balia Store in Jagatsinghpur district while he was returning from attending a children’s festival on Saturday.
A large number of farmers under the banner of the Naba Niraman Krushak Sangathan intercepted the Minister’s vehicle and shouted slogans against the State Government’s inaction to resolve farmers’ problems and check suicides.
With this, Maharathy faced farmers’ ire for the third time in just 15 days, according to reports. Police rushed to the spot and resorted to a lathicharge to disperse the agitators. After half an hour of struggle, Minister’s car was freed from clutches of the activists.
At least two activists were injured in the police attack. They were admitted in the Jagatsinghpur District Headquarters Hospital.
Maharathy was returning from Ghadimula near Jagatsinghpur after attending a children’s day celebration while the farmers intercepted him.