Farmers protest: Kumaraswamy accuses CM of shifting blame on Centre

Mysuru, Nov 7 (PTI) JD(S) leader and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Friday accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of failing to take an appropriate decision in connection with farmers' protest in Karnataka, and trying to shift blame on the Centre.

The CM allowed the issue to grow big, he said.

Alleging that the government seemed to be not concerned about the farmers, he also expressed apprehensions about the CM and the government giving in to the pressure from certain ministers, who own sugar factories.

Sugarcane farmers' protest at Gurlapur Cross in Mudalagi taluk of Belagavi district has entered its ninth day on Friday. It has also spread across various parts of north Karnataka districts like Belagavi, Bagalkote, Vijayapura, Haveri among others. The farmers are demanding a fair price of Rs 3,500 per tonne for sugarcane.

With the protest intensifying, CM Siddaramaiah has called for a meeting with farmer leaders and representatives of sugar factories on Friday.

"I feel angry about this government on one hand, and also feel pity for their situation and the way in which they are running this government. Siddaramaiah is the senior most political leader in recent times, among those who are active. He was twice Deputy Chief Minister, twice the Chief Minister and has presented about 14 budgets as Finance Minister," Kumaraswamy said.

Speaking to reporters here, the former CM asked, despite having such experience, why Siddaramaiah failed to take appropriate decisions when farmers were protesting in several districts of north Karnataka for the past eight to nine days.

"This is not a decision that can be taken by calling a meeting of public representatives. According to me this is a small matter, which can be decided by himself. They have allowed the small issue to grow big," he added.

The union minister slammed the chief minister and his government for seeking the intervention of the Prime Minister through media and by writing a letter to address the sugarcane farmers protest. "Which state government has done it? Only Siddaramaiah gets the credit for it," he said.

Stating that the CM has the responsibility, he said, "When I became the CM twice in alliance with both BJP and Congress respectively, I never put the blame on the Centre or asked the PM to interfere when the sugarcane farmers issue cropped up. As CM I took decisions and never allowed farmers to go on to the streets and protest." Siddaramaiah, in a letter to PM Narendra Modi on Thursday, had said that the root of the problem lies in central policy levers: the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) formula, the stagnating Minimum Support Price (MSP) for sugar, export curbs and the under-utilised ethanol offtake from sugar-based feedstock.

He has sought urgent appointment from PM Modi to discuss "the serious situation" arising out of the ongoing agitation.

Alleging that the chief minister's letter to the PM was with the intention of putting him in the fix and to create suspicion in the minds of the people about the central government, and thereby by hide the state government's failures, Kumaraswamy said the CM knows very well that the PM cannot interfere in this matter.

The Centre fixes the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP), and the state will have to decide on giving additional price if required, he said, as he alleged that the state government wasted time, and allowed the protest to escalate.

Kumaraswamy said, according to him, there is no shortage of funds with the state government, but they have no concern for farmers.

He also felt that the CM and the government seemed to be giving into the pressure from certain ministers, who are sugar factory owners.

"Almost all public representatives from Belagavi have sugar factories...looking at the irresponsible way in which this government is conducting, more than protecting the farmers, they seem to be more interested in protecting the factories owned by public representatives," he added. PTI KSU KH