Farmers in Maharashtra’s Akola, Wardha and surrounding districts sowed unapproved HTBt (herbicide-tolerant, Bt-trait) cotton seeds as a protest against regulations blocking the technology. The demonstration, led by the Bhartiya Kisan Union and Shetkari Sanghatana, involved public sowing of seeds that had not been cleared by the country’s biotech regulator, triggering legal action under the Seeds Act and Environment Protection Act.