Bengaluru: Tension prevailed on the Kanakpura NICE road on Friday when members of a pro-Kannada organisation ransacked and vandalized the toll booths to vent their anger on the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE) chairman and Bidar MLA, Ashok Kheny, on his remarks over farmer suicides in the state.
Kheny had made a controversial statement that the suicides by farmers were mostly due to their habits of alcoholism and gambling. The protestors shouted slogans against Kheny and vandalised the toll booth, before staging a protest for over half an hour at the spot.
The protestors stated that Kheny has lost his mind to issue such a statement. Instead of consoling the farmers’ family and suggesting ways to prevent such untoward incidents, Kheny has humiliated the entire farmers’ fraternity.
Traffic on NICE road was disrupted for over an hour. The Kanakpura police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.
The agitators demanded that Kheny should deliver an unconditional apology, failing which they warned they would intensify their protest against him state wide.
