Protesters baton-charged after blocking minister's vehicle

The police baton-charged a group of protesters in Solapur today after they tried to block Maharashtra Co-operatives minister Chandrakant Patil's vehicle, while he was heading for a party function.
Talking about the incident later, the minister told reporters that members of the Janahit Shetkari Sanghatana led by Bhayya Deshmukh, were supposed to submit a memorandum to him, demanding a Fair Remunerative Price (FRP) from sugar industries for sugarcane.
However, before it could happen, some of the activists tried to block the road, he said.
"The police merely tried to clear the road so that my car could pass and there were no orders for a baton charge," Patil said, adding that the Maharashtra government is committed to grant FRP to sugarcane growers.

Nobody was injured in the baton charge, police said.