Sugarcane Farmers Hurl Slippers At Karnataka Minister’s Car As Protest Turns Tense

Last Updated:November 07, 2025, 09:23 IST

Sugarcane farmers in North Karnataka escalated protests in Belagavi, targeting Minister Shivanand Patil.

A sugarcane price agitation in North Karnataka flared when protesting farmers allegedly threw slippers at Karnataka State Minister Shivanand Patil’s car as he was leaving a demonstration site in Belagavi. The Belagavi protest- part of a wider, eight-day agitation by sugarcane growers demanding a higher price for their crop- continued this week as farmer unions warned of an escalation if talks scheduled for Friday fail to yield concrete measures.

Minister Appeals For Calm, Cites Centre’s Role In Fixing Prices

Meeting demonstrators in Belagavi, Minister Shivanand Patil urged restraint amid reports that unions could block National Highways.

“I am here to make an appeal, not to escalate the situation. The power to fix sugarcane prices does not lie with the state government- it is under the jurisdiction of the Central Government,” he said, adding that the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) is set by the Centre.

He continued, “The Union Minister for Sugar, who is also from our state, has not yet taken any initiative. The authority and responsibility to resolve this issue rest with the Central Government.”

Crucial Meeting With Sugar Mill Owners Scheduled

Shivanand Patil said Karnatak Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has called a meeting of sugar mill owners across Karnataka on Friday, where “a final decision” is expected.

“Based on that outcome, we will determine how best to extend support to our farmers. The farmers’ protest so far has been sincere, and we will make every effort to strengthen their movement. I will personally visit the protest site tomorrow,” he said.

Farmer unions said they will intensify their agitation if Friday’s review meeting does not produce a tangible breakthrough.

CM Siddaramaiah Writes To PM Modi

Amid the mounting standoff, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking an urgent appointment to discuss the “serious situation arising out of the ongoing agitation by sugarcane farmers” in North Karnataka, particularly in Belagavi, Bagalkote, Vijayapura, Vijayanagara, Bidar, Gadag, Hubli-Dharwad and Haveri districts. In his November 6 letter, the Chief Minister said that despite sustained state-level efforts to engage farmers and mill owners, the agitation has intensified and “a growing sense of unrest” is taking hold among cultivators.

Read More