Centre acting against farmers, says KPRS chief

The Union government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is anti-farmer and cases of farmers’ suicide have been rampant in states ruled by BJP, Karnataka Pranta Raita Sangha’s (KPRS) state president Maruti Manpade said on Tuesday.

“The Modi-led government is planning to introduce Agricultural Land Leasing Act to favour wealthy people. The move is tragic,” he said.

At a conference organised by the Karnataka Pranta Raita Sangha’s  Mysuru district unit in Maneyangala in Kalamandir here, he said that agriculture sector had been neglected after Narendra Modi became the prime minister and that the centre was implementing anti-farmer policies. He called upon farmers to stay united and protest against the “anti-farmers” move of the Union government.

Modi had promised to implement the M S Swaminathan report on agriculture during the run up to Lok Sabha election in 2014 but completely forgot about it after coming to power, he said. Manpade pointed out that farmers’ suicide cases were high in BJP-ruled states and this was an example for the Centre’s anti-farmer policies.

After Modi came to power, farmers’ suicide cases have increased by 30%, he said. Farmer suicides have been rampant in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, he said. Manpade also sought an increase in the support price for agriculture produce to improve the economic status of farmers.

Manpade criticised Minister for Agriculture Krishna Byregowda for supporting Agricultural Land Leasing Act and urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to explain about the pros and cons of the law.

Byregowda’s father C Byregowda, who also served as agriculture minister of the state, had made remarkable contributions towards farmers and Krishna Byregowda should follow in his footsteps, Manpade said. KPRS district unit convener K Basavaraju and others were also present.