The Aryavarth Express
Agency(Karnataka): Amid the looming Lok Sabha elections, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah posed a thought-provoking question to the agricultural community, inquiring whether their moral judgment could endorse the BJP after facing “injustice” concerning water management projects, drought assistance, and the refusal to enhance employment days under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). On a significant note, Siddaramaiah highlighted the past instance when the former Chief Minister, B.S. Yediyurappa, pledged to absolve farmers’ debts but subsequently reneged upon his commitment after ascending to power.
In 2018, the BJP had assured to alleviate the financial burdens of the farming sector by forgiving loans up to ₹1 lakh from state-owned banks. However, after securing governance, Yediyurappa openly questioned the feasibility of such a promise, likening it to the operation of a currency printing press. Moreover, during a period when the agriculturalists were in dire need of fertilizers, Yediyurappa’s administration resorted to a police intervention that tragically resulted in the loss of innocent lives. Siddaramaiah provocatively questioned whether the farming community could, in good conscience, support Yediyurappa’s progeny, B.Y. Raghavendra, especially while Prime Minister Narendra Modi championed him in Shivamogga.
Furthermore, Siddaramaiah disclosed his persistent efforts over the past six months to procure financial aid from the central government, following the declaration of drought within the state. Despite personal endeavors to engage with Union Home Minister Amit Shah for an allocation of ₹18,177 crore as drought relief, his requests remained unacknowledged. Additionally, the central government has not acquiesced to the state’s plea to extend MGNREGA’s employment provision from 100 to 150 days, aiming to mitigate the farmers’ compulsion to migrate due to hardship.