Bengaluru: Karnataka’s Agricultural Marketing Minister Shivanand Patil has kicked up a controversy with his remarks that the farmers in the state wish for drought to occur year after year as they get farm loan waivers from the government.
The Minister said that since the farmers are getting everything for free, including water, electricity, seeds and fertilisers, they shouldn’t expect the government’s help all the time.
Speaking at an event in Chikkodi in Belgavi district, Patil said, “Krishna (river) water is free, electricity is also free. Several Chief Ministers have given free seeds and manure. The farmers have only one wish in their mind -- there should be a drought year after year so that their loans to get waived”.
Patil went on to add that the state is likely to be hit by drought once every three to four years due to the climatic conditions.
“The state will see drought-like situation every three or four years and the government will always be there to help the farmers,” said the Minister. Patil said that other Chief Ministers earlier provided help to the farmers during the crisis.
“Be it Yediyurappa, H.D. Kumaraswamy or Siddaramaiah, everybody wanted to help the farmers during the crisis situation. But one must understand that it is not always possible for governments to extend help to the farmers,” he said.
Meanwhile, the state BJP unit has slammed the Congress government and the Minister and has also demanded his removal from the Cabinet.
Karnataka BJP said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's cabinet is "full of fools". The party in a post on X said that the "anti-farmer government" is mocking and humiliating farmers.
Leader of opposition R. Ashok has demanded Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to dismiss Patil from the Cabinet for his 'insensitive' remarks about farmers. Talking to mediapersons in Chikkamagaluru, Ashok said the minister is known for making anti-farmers statements.
He said Patil had earlier ridiculed farmers who committed suicide because they were unable to bear the burden of loans. “Shivanand Patil has no right to remain in the Cabinet,” he said.
Former Telangana minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K.T. Rama Rao has also slammed Patil for his remarks.
“What sort of ministers are these? Making absolutely ludicrous statements about the farmers,” he posted on ‘X’. “No farmer will ever wish for drought. Even in the worst of conditions, all they wish for is empathy from the government,” Rama Rao added.
Many social media users also criticised the Congress Minister after a video of him making insensitive remarks in Kannada went viral.
Patil had earlier sparked a row in September by saying that farmer suicides in the state had gone up after the state government hiked compensation for such deaths.
The Minister, who represents Basavana Bagevadi in the Assembly, was also in the centre of a row when a video of him sitting at an event while others threw currency notes in the air circulated on the Internet. The minister was seen sitting nonchalantly and chatting as some of the notes landed on his feet.