BENGALURU: Amid the controversy over APMC Minister Shivanand Patil’s remarks that farmers in the state wait for droughts to get loan waivers, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that casual comments like these could have been avoided and termed his comments as “disrespectful”.
In a post on X, Chief Minister Siddaramiah said, “It’s crucial to speak with respect about farmers — our food providers. We must avoid making casual comments that could be perceived as disrespectful. Adhering strictly to this code of conduct is a responsibility for all”.
The CM further stated that Shivanand Patil had no intention to insult the farmers. “He has made some remarks in jest with farmers around him. However, when applied to the entire farming community, these can be taken out of context and become offensive. This is unacceptable”, the CM said.
He further targeted the BJP for unnecessarily amplifying the controversy over the remarks made by the minister. “BJP leaders, who have not done anything for the welfare of farmers and are fundamentally anti-farmer, are waiting for opportunities like this to create controversy over Shivanand Patil’s statements. When farmers asked for seeds and fertilisers, they were shot dead; when they asked for loan waivers, the BJP leaders sarcastically remarked that they don’t have a note-printing machine”, Siddaramaiah said.
“Given this backdrop, how can BJP leaders justifiably criticise the Congress party on moral grounds? Our love and respect for farmers is evident in the pro-farmer programmes our government has implemented in the last six months. Even when the Union Government did not provide adequate relief for the drought-affected farmers in the state, we have given Rs 2,000 to each farming family”, he added.
Pointing out the decisions taken for the farming community by his government, Siddaramiah said, “We have decided to waive the interest on medium- and long-term loans taken from cooperative banks. We have launched the Krishi Bhagya Scheme in 106 taluks across 24 districts of the state at a cost of Rs 100 crore. We are providing three-phase electricity for seven hours to agricultural pump sets. We have decided to regularise Bagar Hukum lands that have been cultivated for 15 years”.
Sparking controversy by stating that farmers in the state wait for the drought to occur so that they can get their compensation on the loans, minister Shivanand Patil said on Monday that sometimes a situation can arise when it can become difficult for the government to compensate farmers on their loan debt. “Farmers wait for drought to avail loan waivers. Many Chief Ministers in the past also gave seeds and fertilisers to grow crops. Siddaramaiah, Yediyurappa and HD Kumarwwamy all have given it. But farmers still have one wish, that there will be a drought, because the loan will be waived”, he added.
However, Patil later issued a clarification that his words had been taken out of context. “I have not spoken any words that could hurt and insult the breadwinners. Anyone who listens to the entire speech will understand it. But the fact that the opposition party is spreading slander by keeping only a few words that they should oppose the BJP is just a mirror of their desperate state of mind”, Shivanand Patil posted on X.(ANI)