Will obey HC order to vacate protest site, says Kadu, asks govt to arrange place in prison

Nagpur, Oct 29 (PTI) After the High Court's direction to vacate a national highway near Nagpur, Prahar Janshakti Party leader Bachchu Kadu on Wednesday said the protesting farmers would obey the order but also go to jail, and the government should make necessary arrangements.

They will go to police and court arrest, Kadu said in the evening, even as the deadline of 6 pm set by the high court expired.

The former Maharashtra minister has led a massive tractor procession to the Nagpur- Wardha road, creating a major traffic jam on the outskirts of Nagpur, to press the demand of a complete farm loan waiver.

Farmer leader and former MP Raju Shetti was also taking part in the protest.

The Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court earlier in the day took suo motu notice of the `20-km' traffic jam on National Highway 44, and directed Kadu and his supporters who are staging `Maha Elgar Morcha' to move off the highway and other roads by 6 pm.

Speaking before the gathering, Kadu said they would not commit a contempt of the HC order, but the administration should arrange a place for them in jail.

Shetti said state ministers were expected to come for discussions but it did not happen. He called for `jail bharo andolan' (courting arrest agitation).

As of 7 pm, leaders including Kadu, Shetti, Wamanrao Chatap, Madhav Jankar along with hundreds of protesters were at Jamtha flyover.

The Nagpur-Wardha road (NH 44) remains blocked from Tuesday night.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had on Wednesday morning appealed Kadu to discuss farmers' issues with the government instead of holding agitations that inconvenience the public and could be exploited by "vested interests".

On the loan waiver demand, he said, "The state government has already formed a committee to look into the issue. Our priority at present is to help farmers who have suffered losses due to heavy rains. We have never said we are against farm loan waiver." PTI CLS SPK KRK