Minister H K Patil invites protesting sugarcane growers to meet CM, farmers set deadline
Belagavi (PTI): Karnataka Minister H K Patil on Wednesday invited representatives of sugarcane farmers, who are protesting demanding that the government fix a fair price of Rs 3,500 per tonne for their crops, for a meeting with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Bengaluru.
However, not willing to meet the CM in Bengaluru, farmers' representatives said that they would withdraw their protest if the state government announced a higher price by Thursday evening.
As the protest by farmers at Gurlapur Cross here entered the seventh day and spread across various parts of north Karnataka districts like Belagavi, Bagalkote, Haveri and others, the Law and Parliamentary Affairs minister met the farmers representatives on behalf of the government and tried to convince them to come for a discussion with the CM.
The farmers' agitation has drawn support from various farmer associations, organisations, opposition BJP, students, among others. The agitating farmers had reportedly blocked some key routes in the Belagavi region and burnt tyres and effigies as a mark of protest.
Minister Patil, after hearing the demands of the farmers, said he was ready to organise a meeting with the chief minister on Thursday evening, and come to a decision by Friday afternoon.
"On November 7 morning there will be a meeting with sugar factories, after that there will be a meeting with officials. After obtaining inputs from them, by 2 PM on November 7, we will inform you about the government's decision that will be mostly pro farmers," he said, inviting a delegation of farmers to come for a meeting.
Sri Shashikant Guruji on behalf of the farmers' said, the farmers would withdraw the protest only if the state government announced a higher price by Thursday evening.
Urging the Deputy Commissioner to hold another meeting to finalise the price, he said, based on what the DC announces after the discussion, the farmers' will withdraw their protest. "Our protest will continue."
"If we abandon the protest and go to Bengaluru to meet the chief minister, it will send a wrong message to our fellow farmers," he further said, as he hit out at district in-charge Minister Satish Jarkiholi and Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar, who hailed from Belagavi and owned sugar factories, for not meeting protesting farmers in Belagavi.
Farmers' leader Chunappa Pujari urged the government that if the factories failed to pay less than Rs 3,500 per tonne, the state government should pay the balance amount to farmers.
State BJP President B Y Vijayendra, who joined the protesting farmers in Belagavi on Tuesday, took part in the overnight agitation. Farmer leaders greeted Vijayendra, whose birthday is on Wednesday, at the protest venue.
Former Karnataka Chief Minister and BJP MP Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to immediately intervene and ensure that sugarcane farmers get Rs 3,500 per tonne, as demanded by them.
Suggesting that sugar factories should pay Rs 3,300 per tonne, while the state government must contribute Rs 200 per tonne to fulfill the farmers' demand, he said, as several ministers in the government have vested interests in the sugar business, the chief minister himself must take the lead and resolve the issue.
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Bill to regulate deepfakes tabled in Lok Sabha
New Delhi (PTI): A Private Member's Bill seeking a clear legal framework for regulation of deepfakes has been introduced in the Lok Sabha.
The Regulation of Deepfake Bill, introduced by Shiv Sena leader Shrikant Shinde in the House on Friday, aims to protect citizens by mandating prior consent from individuals depicted in deepfake content.
"Misuse of deepfakes for harassment, deception and misinformation has escalated, creating an urgent need for regulatory safeguards," Shinde said.
The Bill also lists penalties for offenders creating or disseminating deepfake content with malicious intent.
"With advancements in artificial intelligence and deep learning, deepfake technology has emerged as a significant tool for media manipulation. While the technology has potential applications in education, entertainment and creative fields, it also poses severe risks when misused, threatening individual privacy, national security and public trust," Shinde said in the statement of objects and reasons in the Bill.
The proposed Bill seeks to establish a clear legal framework to govern the creation, distribution and application of deepfakes in India, said Shinde, a three-term Lok Sabha member from Kalyan.
The Bill also seeks to establish the Deepfake Task Force, a dedicated body to combat national security implications and evaluate the influence of deepfakes on privacy, civic participation, and potential election interference.
The task force will collaborate with academic and private sector institutions to develop technologies that detect manipulated content, thereby promoting credibility in digital media.
The Bill also proposes to establish a fund to support public and private sector initiatives in the detection and deterrence of advanced image manipulation.
A Private Member's Bill is a procedure of Parliament that enables lawmakers, who are not ministers, to draw attention to issues that might not be represented in Government Bills or to highlight the issues and gaps in the existing legal framework that require legislative intervention.
