Following the State Government’s decision to pay Rs 100 bonus on procurement of every quintal of paddy to farmers, Nabanirman Krushak Sangathan (NKS) leader Akshaya Kumar, who was on fast since December 9 fighting for farmers’ causes, and another NKS leader Rajnarayan Jena, who too was on fast since the day of his arrest on Tuesday, called off their fast on Friday.
Meanwhile, both of them were admitted to the capital hospital on Thursday midnight after their health conditions deteriorated. But in what was indicative of the seriousness with which the police and the administration have taken their condition, they have not even been given beds and have been left to lie on the hospital veranda instead.
The Sangathan alleged that the State Government has slapped Section 307 of IPC (attempt to murder) on its volunteers, who were protesting peacefully on Tuesday against illegal suppression of the ongoing agitation of farmers. Twenty-six NKS members were arrested on Tuesday as they held the protest in front of the State Secretariat blocking the convoy of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Kumar alleged that the arrest of NKS members was part of a conspiracy by the Commissionerate Police (CP). “If the CP slaps attempt-to-murder case against us for protesting peacefully then it is easy to imagine what it may be doing in other cases,” said he. Meanwhile, several civil societies, farmers’ body decided to stage a demonstration in front of Raj Bhvan on Saturday demanding unconditional release of the NKS activists.