H.D. Kumaraswamy, the Karnataka’s Cheif Minister’s statement against the protesting sugarcane farmers in which he reportedly termed them as ‘goondas,’ has faced a severe criticism from farmers and the opposition.
Mr Kumaraswamy said, “a woman wearing a green shawl, criticized me, I would like to ask her where she was all these years. After four years, she is questioning me, I don’t think they are farmers.”
He was reacting to the incident which took place in the legislature complex in Belagavi on Sunday in which a group of farmers drove trucks laden with sugarcane and ‘gatecrashed’ into Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, protesting against the Kumaraswamy’s reported cancellation of his visit to meet farmers protesting overpayments due from sugar mills.
The winter session of the state legislature scheduled which is scheduled to be held in Suvarna Vishana Soudha next month has been reportedly threatened by the farmers to be disrupted.
“The CM has cast aspersions on the integrity of farmers which, by any standards, is unacceptable,” said BJP state president B.S. Yeddyurappa while criticising Mr Kumaraswamy.
He further stated that “CM has also said that he should not be held responsible if sugar factory owners have not paid dues to farmers for the last four or five years as he had become CM only for five months ago. This statement is nothing but ridiculous. People have every right to demand justice from the government at any given point of time. It is the responsibility of the government of the day to redress the grievances.”
“The BJP warns that it will join the farmers’ ranks and launch a state-wide agitation against the barbaric approach of the coalition government”, he added.