Jagatsinghpur/Balasore/Sambalpur, Nov. 15: Police today arrested six protesters from a farmers' organisation after they demonstrated against agriculture minister Pradeep Maharathy during his visit to Jagatsinghpur last night.

Rise in cases of farmer suicide had provoked members of the Naba Nirman Krushal Sangathan to register their protest against Maharathy, leaving the minister stranded on the road for nearly half an hour.

The protesters blocked the road near Balia village and took the cops by surprise as it was spontaneous and not a pre-planned agitation. They shouted slogans against the minister. The police baton-charged the protesters injuring five. Two of them are said to be critical.

The mob formed a human chain and did not allow Maharathy to proceed to Bhubaneswar. The minister was in Jagatsinghpur district to attend a Children's Day programme.

The police tried to pacify the agitators, but they did not relent. The road blockade and slogan-shouting lasted for almost 25 minutes. The protesters later had a scuffle with the police.

"Six persons, who were creating problems, have been arrested. As the agitation was not peaceful in nature, the police were force to initiate coercive action," said additional police superintendent Madhabanand Sahu.

"The minister should have taken note of the farmers' plight. Instead, he attended the Children's Day programme. He could not spare time to interact with the distressed farmers. A farmer from Barumila village had ended his life recently. The deceased's family is yet to be covered under ex gratia benefits," said a sangathan member.

In Balasore district, a 62-year-old farmer today allegedly committed suicide on the railway tracks after his paddy crop failed. The deceased has been identified as Premananda Godai of Dahisada vilage. His body was found on tracks near Nuagaon.

His wife said Godai was stressed out because of the big debts he had run into after the crop failed.

In Bargarh, 48-year-old farmer Tarini Bariha allegedly consumed pesticide last evening and died this morning. Bariha hails from Sohela block in Bargarh district where the BJD has planned to organise the farmers' convention on November 19.