PALANPUR/AHMEDABAD: The Aasood Yatra launched by Maharashtra farmers to highlight their misery was stopped in Mehsana on Friday before they could reach Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home town Vadnagar Independent MLA Bachu Kadu, who is leading the yatra, and four others were detained in Mehsana as they did not have the requisite permissions to organize such programme. The farmers had started from Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis ' native town Nagpur on April 15 and it was to culminate in Vadnagar with a blood donation programme."We detained five farmers from Maharashtra including their leader Bachu Kadu. They had not sought permission for the rally or blood donation programme. Moreover, there were many other people who had come from other places. We did not want any disturbance," said Chaitanya Mandlik, Mehsana superintendent of police.The aasood (whip) wielding farmers had embarked on the yatra to highlight their miserable condition caused by faulty policies of the government. Farmers had planned to donate 1,000 units of blood in Vadnagar.On Thursday, about 100 people from Maharashtra, including widows of farmers who had committed suicide, were detained on their way to Vadnagar. They had arrived in buses and trains. Sources said early Friday morning, the Mehsana district authorities took them to Ahmedabad railway station in state transport buses and asked them to return to Maharashtra.In the afternoon, Kadu, who is the leader of Prahar Sangathan, was detained from Meva toll plaza in Mehsana along with his four supporters.Farmers from Gujarat who had joined the rally alleged that the police used force. Ganesh Purohit, member secretary of Prahar Sangathan, alleged that police had used force while detaining Kadu.Countering allegations of police using force, Mandlik said, "They were detained at the toll booth and there was no use of force. CCTVs are installed at various places near the booth and anyone can check them to verify if police took any such action."

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