Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has registered FIRs against more than 20 farmers following a violent protest that disrupted a land survey for the proposed Bidadi Township project on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

The cases were registered at the Bidadi Police Station based on a complaint by Revenue Department officials, who alleged that protesters attacked government personnel and obstructed them from performing their official duties.

The administration is now planning talks with farmers and preparing to restart the survey process under police protection.

Survey Team Faced Protest During Land Measurement Exercise

The FIRs were filed after Monday’s confrontation during a Joint Measurement Survey (JMC), which is a preliminary step in the land acquisition process.

According to officials, the survey team faced strong opposition from farmers and women protesters. Some protesters allegedly threw stones and chased the officials, forcing them to stop the survey work.

Officials also alleged that some women protesters hit government vehicles with brooms during the demonstration.

Following the incident, the district administration temporarily suspended the survey work due to the tense situation in the area.

Farmers Oppose Land Acquisition for Township Project

Farmers in the Bidadi region have been protesting against the proposed township project for nearly 500 days, claiming that the acquisition of agricultural land could affect their livelihoods.

The protesters have alleged that the project would take away fertile farmland and have demanded that the township plan be cancelled.

The government, however, has maintained that the Joint Measurement Survey is only a preliminary exercise and does not itself represent the final stage of land acquisition.

Officials Plan Talks Before Restarting Survey

After the clash, authorities are considering discussions with farmers before resuming the survey.

Officials are also preparing a detailed security plan to ensure that the measurement process can be conducted peacefully with adequate police deployment.

Ramanagara Superintendent of Police Srinivas Gowda visited the protest site at Mandalahalli and reviewed the law and order situation with senior officials.

The SP appealed to protesters to maintain peace and warned against obstructing government officials from carrying out their duties.

H.D. Kumaraswamy Accuses Government of Suppressing Protest

Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy criticised the Karnataka government’s handling of the issue, alleging that police action was being used to suppress the farmers’ movement.

He claimed there was an “invisible hand” behind the sudden attempt to conduct the survey despite opposition from local residents.

Kumaraswamy urged farmers to continue their protest peacefully and assured them of legal support in their fight against the proposed project.

The situation in Bidadi remains tense, with farmers continuing their protest while authorities work on a plan to restart the survey process.