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Chief Minister threatens Delhi dharna

Special Correspondent

Congress continues protest in Assembly seeking joint legislature committee
Government ready to take all-party delegation to Delhi, says Yeddyurappa

BANGALORE: Upset over “attempts by the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) to politicise the fertilizer shortage issue”, Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa on Wednesday threatened to stage a dharna near Parliament House, along with his Cabinet colleagues, to highlight the fact that it was the Centre that had failed in ensuring adequate supply to the State.

In a brief reply in the Legislative Assembly, he said, “If you (Congress) politicise the fertilizer scarcity issue and stage a dharna here, we will also politicise it by staging a dharna in front of Parliament.” The Congress members staged a dharna demanding a joint legislature committee to look into the issue and also cases of farmer suicides. “The State Government is ready to take an-all party delegation to New Delhi to impress upon the Union Government the problems faced by farmers and to speed up the supply of fertilizers to the State,” he said.

Ignoring Speaker Jagadish Shettar’s appeal to remain calm, the Congress members, led by Leader of the Opposition M. Mallikarjun Kharge, continued the dharna in the House for the second day on Wednesday to press a three-point demand: a joint legislature committee to know why farmers had committed suicide in the State after the BJP Government assumed charge; an apology from Mr. Yeddyurappa and Agriculture Minister S.A. Ravindranath for making derogatory remarks against farmers who had ended their lives; and adequate compensation to the families of farmers who had committed suicide.

Cooperation sought

Mr. Yeddyurappa sought the cooperation of the Congress and the Janata Dal(S) members to find a solution to the agrarian crisis. He said that the demand for a joint legislature committee was not relevant. The Government had ordered a judicial probe and was prepared to include any suggestion given by the Opposition in the terms of reference, he said.

Farmers’ suicide was not a new phenomenon. As many as 2,126 of them had committed suicide between 2002 and 2007.

As many as 254 people had been killed in police firing between 1981 and 2006. In the past one decade, 81 people had died in police firing, he said.

Refuting the charge made by the Congress and the Janata Dal(S) against the Government, Mr. Yeddyurappa said, “If the Union Government had honoured its commitment to supply fertilizers, the State would not have witnessed the problem. We are all responsible for the fertilizer scarcity. If you (Congress) cooperate with us, we can tackle the problem. The Prime Minister is a good administrator and I am hopeful he will meet our demand.”

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