Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Kalaburagi: AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge's rebuke against a farmer has invited sharp criticism from the opposition BJP and JD(S) in the state. The Congress leader had reprimanded a farmer in the city on Sunday when the latter approached his house by displaying damaged tur plants grown by him in his farm land due to the heavy rainfall.
Terming Kharge's move an insult to the distressed farmers, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra said that this shows his carelessness towards the farmers. In the post on 'X', the BJP leader said that Kharge's attitude has reduced his dignity of prolonged political experience and seniority.
"Congress never did anything to lift the farmers out of their difficult situation after Independence. The party has shed crocodile tears over the poor farmers. The way AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge behaved on Sunday has provided evidence to it", he stated.
JD(S) has also accused Kharge of being arrogant and charged that Congress leaders care about the farmers only in their speeches. "DCM D K Shivakumar had earlier threatened the farmers protesting in Ramanagar like a rowdy. Now, AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge has shown his arrogant attitude towards the poor farmer who has lost his crop", the party said.
Accusing the farmer of seeking publicity, Kharge had questioned him how many acres did he plant. When the farmer replied that he has grown crops in 4 acres, the Congress leader retorted by saying 'I have also grown crops in 40 acres and mine has been damaged worse than you'. I am well aware of the crop loss. This is like the saying that one, who has delivered three kids, expresses her struggle before a person who delivered six kids".
Kharge also asked the farmer to approach the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the compensation of crop loss.