R Guru Prasad
Irked by the statement made by Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy, farmers are upset and staging protest across the state.
Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy who calls himself a farmer, showed his real character when he called state farmers as “goondas” and we strongly demand an apology from him, say farmers.
Farmers in Belagavi were protesting for the last few days demanding clearance of their pending arrears by sugar factories for the cane supplied and an announcement of the purchase price for sugarcane for the current season as had been done in neighbouring Maharashtra.
Instead of supporting the farmers, he termed them as goondas. He didn’t stop there. He also decried a woman farmer who questioned Kumaraswamy. HDK asked the woman as to where was she sleeping for so many years. This infuriated the farmers in the state who launched a state-wide protest. In fact, the farmers also made a lot of videos and demanded an explanation from HDK.
The farmer woman Jayashree Gurannavara said, ” Mr CM, you called us goondas because we gatecrashed into Suvarana Soudha asking for our money. So, I want to remind you that your father HD Devegowda had broken the locks in Vidhana Soudha when Ramakrishna Hegde was the Chief Minister. So, do you have the guts to call your father a goonda?” Expectedly, HDK didn’t have any answers.
In another video, one of the farmer women took the CM to task saying, “I am proud to be a farmer and wear a green shawl. I am not like you to shed fake tears by applying Vicks to the towel. I am also a farmer who is not like you in changing alliance partner to stick to the seat.” With pressure mounting on all sides and widespread criticism, HDK had to bite the bullet and finally, issue an apology.
BJP steps up pressure against misgovernance
Karnataka BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa has termed the Congress-JD(S) government’s performance in the first six months since coming to power as “poor”. He said the BJP would demand answers from Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy during the winter session of the state assembly in Belagavi. The session will be held from December 10 to 21. “I have been demanding that the chief minister releases a white paper about the financial condition of the state. He did not do it and spoke lightly about it,” Yeddyurappa told reporters here. He claimed that the data collected by him about the government’s development works showed that the state’s total budget grant was Rs 1,87,996 crore, out of which 39 per cent, Rs 73,440 crore, has been spent. For the corresponding period in 2017, it was 42.40 per cent, he said, adding that most of it were used for government employees’ salary and travel. “The (government’s) performance is poor,” the BJP leader said.
Meanwhile, Karnataka BJP accused HDK of “misgovernance” and asked when the state would see some governance. Addressing the Chief Minister as “Kumaranna”, as he is popularly called, the opposition party has put four questions to him, including the one on loan waiver. “In the mercy of Congress, the unholy alliance headed by CM Kumaraswamy completes six months,” Karnataka BJP said in a tweet. It said “In these 184 days of misgovernance CM has failed to expand his cabinet. His greed to hold on to portfolios has crippled entire administration #NijaHeliKumaranna (speak the truth Kumaranna) when will we see some governance.” The saffron party in another tweet, along with cabinet expansion, has also questioned the Chief Minister about farm loan waiver, funds to drought-hit taluks and discussion on the common minimum programme.”#NijaHeliKumaranna – When will you waive farmers loans? – When will you expand cabinet to give full-fledged governance to the state? – When will you release special funds to 100 drought-hit taluks? – When will common minimum programs be discussed?” it said.
Meanwhile, Karnataka BJP accused HDK of “misgovernance” and asked when the state would see some governance. Addressing the Chief Minister as “Kumaranna”, as he is popularly called, the opposition party has put four questions to him, including the one on loan waiver. “In the mercy of Congress, the unholy alliance headed by CM Kumaraswamy completes six months,” Karnataka BJP said in a tweet. It said “In these 184 days of misgovernance CM has failed to expand his cabinet. His greed to hold on to portfolios has crippled entire administration #NijaHeliKumaranna (speak the truth Kumaranna) when will we see some governance.” The saffron party in another tweet, along with cabinet expansion, has also questioned the Chief Minister about farm loan waiver, funds to drought-hit taluks and discussion on the common minimum programme.”#NijaHeliKumaranna – When will you waive farmers loans? – When will you expand cabinet to give full-fledged governance to the state? – When will you release special funds to 100 drought-hit taluks? – When will common minimum programs be discussed?” it said.
