Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday told the state Legislative Assembly that the cases filed against dairy farmers during their ongoing protest would be withdrawn, PTI reported. The chief minister, however, specified that the amnesty would not apply to protestors who are not farmers and those who have been charged with indulging in violence during the stir.

Fadnavis was answering a question raised by Leader of the Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil. “Tankers and vehicles have been torched at some places during the farmers’ agitation,” Vikhe-Patil said. “The government is not heeding to the demands of the farmers, but at least withdraw the cases filed against them.”

Farmers’ organisations are demanding an increase of Rs 5 per litre in the procurement price of milk. They escalated their protests after several dairies planned to supply milk on Monday despite their objections. Parliamentarian Raju Shetti of the Swabhimani Shetkari Sangathana said the farmers had launched the agitation after the state government refused to heed their demands. Protestors stopped and emptied milk tankers on roads in several districts of the state.