Police firing on farmers unfortunate, says Ravi Shankar

BANGALORE : Art of Living Founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar today termed the killing of a farmer in police firing as "unfortunate", in Sangli in Maharashtra during a protest.

"It is unfortunate what has happened to farmers on Diwali eve in Maharashtra. I wish a satisfactory solution is reached without further delay," Ravi Shankar said in a statement here.

A farmer was killed in police firing in Sangli on November 12 after a group of peasants tried to lock a police team inside a hotel at Nandre village after learning about the detention of Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatna leader Raju Shetty in Pune district.

Shetty was spearheading an agitation of farmers against refusal of cooperative sugar factories in Sangli, Satara and Kolhapur districts to give Rs 3,000 per ton as first advance on sugarcane purchase this season.