HDK wants govt to drop cases against farmers

JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Tuesday wrote to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah asking him to abide by his duties as head of the state, and protect the people of the state.

Stating that he was well aware of the grief Siddaramaiah was enduring following the loss of his son Rakesh, Kumaraswamy has appealed to the former to immediately address the police atrocity in Naragund and Navalgund taluks. “When you were in Belgium, there were police excesses where hundreds of women and children were brutally beaten up by the police. Just because some anti-social elements damaged police vehicles and public property, hundreds of farmers were taken to task. They have been arrested and booked for non-bailable offences,” he said.

Addressing Siddaramaiah endearingly, Kumaraswamy asked him to immediately convene a Cabinet meeting to withdraw cases against the 180 farmers who have been put behind bars in Ballari and Chitradurga. He also wanted Siddaramaiah to visit Yamanur and meet the victims of lathi charge. “If you do this, my love for you will only grow Siddaramanna,” he has stated.

Deve Gowda called Siddaramaiah over the phone and consoled the chief minister. Gowda said that he was unable to attend the funeral of Rakesh owing to his ill health.