NEW DELHI: The JDS slammed Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for his interaction with a farmer, where he drove him away, dismissing his grievances, saying that he suffered more crop damage than the farmer. JDS accused Kharge of mocking the farmer and claimed that for the Congress, farmers are only a matter of speeches and manifestos. “Mr Kharge, after decades in politics, holding powerful posts, becoming @INCIndia’s national president, having your son @PriyankKharge as a minister, and your party ruling the state, you still don’t have the patience to listen to farmers in your own district? Compensation for the distressed is too much to expect, I suppose,” the JDS handle posted on X.“For Congress, farmers seem to matter only in speeches and manifestos. In reality, your arrogance says it all,” it said. Kharge was seen accusing the farmer of seeking publicity by coming to his house in Kalaburagi with his crop problem. “How many acres did you plant?” Kharge was seen saying in the clip.“4 acres? I planted in 40 acres and mine has been damaged worse than this,” Kharge said. “This is like the saying that one who has delivered three kids comes to a person who has delivered 6 and talks about the struggle,” Kharge said adding that he was aware of the crop loss issue. “Don’t come here just for the sake of publicity, I am aware of this issue, I am aware of the crop losses this year. You may be able to sustain, but it is difficult for us. It is difficult to sustain with the size of our plantation,” he said.Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar has recently been accused of threatening farmers protesting in Ramanagara against the Greater Bengaluru Governance Authority Project. The farmers are protesting as they fear loss of their agricultural lands under the RMG project. DK issued a stern warning to the farmers and said he had also given 12 acres of land in the past. “You can’t do anything except shout slogans. Farmers should fight but don’t do politics,” DKS said.
