BJP state chief Vijayendra celebrates 50th birthday with protesting farmers at midnight in Belagavi

BELAGAVI: Farmers in Belagavi district have been protesting for the past seven days at Gurlapur Cross, demanding a fair price for their sugarcane produce. The protest has gained momentum with BJP state president BY Vijayendra joining the farmers in their sit-in protest on the national highway.

Vijayendra, who celebrated his 50th birthday at midnight, chose to spend the day with the protesting farmers, saying it was his good fortune to be among them on his special day. At midnight, the farmers woke him up to wish him a happy birthday. Vijayendra refused to accept the traditional ‘aarti’ when it was offered to him.

The protesting farmers and the BJP leaders slept on the road in the chilly weather. Vijayendra was joined by P Rajiv, and Eranna Kadadi in the protest. Vijayendra slammed the state government for ignoring the farmers’ plams and urged the authorities to take immediate action to address their grievances.

“ರೈತರಿದ್ದರೆ ನಾಡು
ರೈತರಿಗಾಗಿ ನಾವು”

ಕಬ್ಬಿಗೆ ಯೋಗ್ಯ ದರ ನಿಗದಿ ಸೇರಿದಂತೆ ವಿವಿಧ ಬೇಡಿಕೆಗಳನ್ನು ಈಡೇರಿಸುವಂತೆ ಒತ್ತಾಯಿಸಿ ಬೆಳಗಾವಿ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಯ ಗುರ್ಲಾಪುರ ಕ್ರಾಸ್ ಬಳಿ ನಡೆಯುತ್ತಿರುವ ಆಹೋರಾತ್ರಿ ಹೋರಾಟದ ಕಿಚ್ಚು ಕಾಡ್ಗಿಚ್ಚಿನಂತೆ ಆಸ್ಪೋಟಿಸುವ ಮುನ್ನ ರಾಜ್ಯ ಸರ್ಕಾರ ಎಚ್ಚೆತ್ತುಕೊಳ್ಳಲಿ.#CongressFailsKarnataka… pic.twitter.com/hHvnwh4VjX

— Vijayendra Yediyurappa (@BYVijayendra) November 5, 2025

Vijayendra, in his speech, said that he had come to the protest as the son of former CM BS Yediyurappa, not as a politician or MLA. He slammed the state government for ignoring the farmers’ plams and urged the authorities to take immediate action. He said that the government’s inaction was forcing the farmers to take to the streets. He demanded that the government immediately fix a fair price for sugarcane and ensure that the farmers are paid on time.

The farmers, who have been protesting on the national highway, allege that the government has failed to provide them with a fair price for their sugarcane, leading to a severe financial crisis. They have been demanding that the government fix a minimum support price for sugarcane and ensure timely payment to shoot them.

“ರೈತ ನಕ್ಕರೆ ನಾಡು ಬೆಳಗುವುದು
ರೈತ ನೊಂದರೆ ಸಮಾಜ ನಲುಗುವುದು”

ಬೆಳಗಾವಿ, ಬಾಗಲಕೋಟೆ, ವಿಜಯಪುರ, ಚಿಕ್ಕೋಡಿ ಭಾಗಗಳ ಕಬ್ಬು ಬೆಳೆಗಾರರ ಬೆವರ ಪರಿಶ್ರಮಕ್ಕೆ ತಕ್ಕ ಬೆಲೆಗಾಗಿ ನ್ಯಾಯದ ಸೆರಗೊಡ್ಡಿ ನಿಂತಿದ್ದಾರೆ, ಅವರೊಂದಿಗೆ ದನಿ ಗೂಡಿಸುವುದು ನನ್ನ ಪಾಲಿನ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ ಕರ್ತವ್ಯ. ಕಬ್ಬು ಬೆಳೆಗಾರರ ಬೇಡಿಕೆ ಈಡೇರಿ ಸಿಹಿಯ ಬೆಲೆ ದೊರಕುವವರೆಗೂ… pic.twitter.com/FzUyuBkBTT

— Vijayendra Yediyurappa (@BYVijayendra) November 4, 2025

The protesting farmers have been receiving support from various quarters, including the medical fraternity, who have offered their services and donated money to the cause. The protest has also seen participation from other organizations, including the Sri Ram Sene, whose leader, Pramod Muthalik, has extended his support to the farmers.

The farmers have warned that if their demands are not met, they will intensify their protest and take it to the state’s capital, Bengaluru. The district administration has been trying to persuade the farmers to call off their protest, but they remain firm, demanding that the government take concrete steps to address their grievances.