Slamming the Congress government for delaying declaring drought in the State, BJP leaders on Wednesday took exception to the statement of Sugar Minister Shivanand Patil, who has said farmer suicides increased after compensation amount was hiked for such deaths.
Demanding an apology from the Minister, the BJP announced a pro-farmers’ protest led by former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Friday in Bengaluru.
“The Minister’s statement on farmer’s suicide shows the anti-farmer mindset. It is condemnable that the Minister has said that farmer suicides have increased after government enhanced compensation. This government has been following an anti-farmer policy,” former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai told presspersons. “It is unfair to say that farmers are dying by suicide for money. Nobody does this. An investigation is done to ascertain the cause of death before compensation is given.” As many as 172 farmers have died by suicide in the last three months for whom the government should declare compensation, he said, adding that farmers should be counselled against taking such extreme measures.
