Members of the All India Kisan Kheth Mazdoor Sanghatan (AIKKMS) staged a demonstration condemning the arrests of protesters in Vijayapura who have been demanding the establishment of a government medical college in the district, here on January 3.

The arrests were made when protesters staged a demonstration outside the residence of M.B. Patil, in-charge Minister of Vijayapura district.

Condemning the police action, the organisation said cases had been booked against protesters in an attempt to suppress a legitimate movement seeking justice. “We strongly oppose the police action against the protesters and the filing of cases against them,” AIKKMS said in a statement issued here.

Opposing the proposal to establish a medical college under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, the protesters have been demanding a government-run medical college and have been on a dharna for over 100 days. The organisation alleged that the police behaved harshly with the protesters, including women, when they staged a demonstration in front of the Minister’s residence.

AIKKMS State president M. Shashidhar, Janandolana Mahamaitri leader Ugranarasimhe Gowda, and others were present at the protest.