Kejriwal slams Gujarat govt over lathi charge on protesting livestock farmers in Sabarkantha

New Delhi, July 15 (IANS) Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday criticised the Gujarat government for the lathi charge and use of tear gas on livestock farmers protesting outside the Sabar Dairy facility in Sabarkantha district.

The farmers protested on Monday, demanding a fair share in the dairy’s profits and a hike in milk procurement prices.

Kejriwal condemned the use of force against the demonstrators, calling it an act of "brutality".

Taking to X, he posted, "The BJP government has crossed all limits of brutality by ordering a lathi charge and tear gas on the livestock farmers peacefully protesting outside Gujarat's Sabar Dairy. Demanding a share in the dairy's profits is not a crime."

He also paid tribute to a dairy farmer who died while going home after the protest concluded.

"The people of Gujarat will surely respond to this dictatorship of the BJP," Kejriwal added.

What began as a peaceful protest quickly turned volatile when agitators forced their way into the premises, damaging property, tearing down metal barriers, smashing CCTV cameras, and hurling stones.

At least three people were injured in the ensuing chaos, prompting police to resort to tear gas and lathi charges to restore order. The protest also spilt onto the Himmatnagar-Talod highway, bringing traffic to a standstill for several hours. In response, heavy police forces were stationed in and around the dairy facility to prevent further escalation.

Protesters claimed that private security guards were deployed to silence dissent rather than address their grievances.

At the core of the unrest is a sharp dip in incentive payouts. Farmers said that while Sabar Dairy had allocated Rs 602 crore in bonuses last year, resulting in a 17 per cent rise in milk prices, this year’s allocation has been slashed to Rs 500 crore, leading to a meagre 9.75 per cent increase.

With operational costs rising, farmers argue that this year’s incentives fail to match their labour and input expenses, leaving them with no choice but to take to the streets.

--IANS

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