Bidar: The Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha has criticised the BJP's nation-wide campaign against price rise of essential commodities, terming it an "anti-farmer" movement.

"The BJP is quick to react to occasional rise in prices of vegetables and other food items. However, it seems to be blind to the fall in prices of agriculture produce, that seriously affects farmers. Where were these BJP leaders when the price of onion fell to one rupee a kilogram and thousands of farmers threw their produce on the streets? Why did the party not take up a struggle to ensure scientific pricing of crops?" the sangha said in a release.

"The BJP claims the prices of sugar, cereals, onion and potato were under control during the NDA regime. It does not realise that farmers' suicides increased during that period," it said.

The fact that lakhs of farmers committed suicide in the last decade seemed to bother no politician. UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi also keeps promising that the prices of food items would be kept under control.

"Does it mean initiating measures such as banning export and allowing free import of farm produce? Ms. Gandhi should realise that only when prices of agriculture produce are high, can farmers lead a contented life. If the prices keep decreasing, farmers face a crisis."

In dire straits

"The UPA leaders should therefore drop this idea and think of protecting farmers instead. Farmers are suffering owing to increasing cost of production, lack of access to credit, erratic rainfall, low prices and the debt trap."

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has announced that India was a model to the developing nations.

"Can he explain in what way it is a model? Is it because half the population is illiterate and lives below the poverty line? Is it because farmers in Vidarbha, Karnataka and Andhra have not stopped committing suicides despite the much-hyped Prime Minister's package?" KRRS leaders asked.

District president Vishwanath Patil Koutha, leaders Veerbushan Nandagave, Sidramappa Bhatmurge and M. Sirajuddin Patel have signed the release.

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