K’taka: BJP slams Congress over convention amid farmer distress

Bengaluru, May 18 Slamming the ruling Congress party over organising a convention in Tumakuru on May 19, to mark the completion of three years in office, the Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party launched a scathing attack on the Congress government in Karnataka, accusing it of holding “achievement conventions” while farmers across the state were reeling under crop losses, financial distress, and rising suicides.

Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka on Monday alleged that the Congress government was celebrating its achievements “over the graves of farmers” at a time when cultivators were suffering due to crop destruction caused by natural calamities.

“The Congress government’s guarantees have now turned into guarantees of farmer suicides, guarantees of no crop compensation, guarantees of water scarcity, and guarantees of no three-phase electricity supply,” he charged.

Ashoka alleged that the state government had adopted an anti-farmer approach over the last three years and had failed to provide adequate allocations for the agriculture sector in the state budget despite making promises in its election manifesto.

He said large-scale crop damage had been reported across several districts, including 1,235 hectares in Haveri, 832 hectares in Kolar, 324 hectares in Belagavi, and 100 hectares in Koppal, as well as severe losses in Kalaburagi, Chitradurga, Bagalkote, Davanagere, Yadgir, and Shivamogga districts.

According to him, crops such as grapes, bananas, watermelons, coconuts, mangoes, arecanuts, and tomatoes had been severely damaged.

However, he alleged that no officials had visited affected areas so far or initiated compensation procedures.

“Even compensation for banana crop losses caused by rains last year has not been provided. It has been over a year, yet the government has failed to respond,” he said.

Taking a dig at the government’s public outreach programmes, Ashoka said ministers who had failed to visit distressed farmers were now going door-to-door distributing invitation cards for Congress conventions.

“The government once spoke about ‘Janaspandana’ programmes. Now the people themselves are ready to respond with sticks,” he remarked sarcastically.

Ashoka further accused the Congress government of misusing public funds for conventions and celebrations.

He alleged that although the government had promised to earmark Rs 5,000 crore for natural disaster relief, “not even a single rupee” had been deposited for the purpose.

“While farmers are waiting for compensation, Rs 20 crore was spent on the Ballari convention, and now Rs 12 crore has reportedly been sought from the district administration for the Tumakuru convention,” he alleged.

Claiming that these were essentially Congress party programmes and not government events, Ashoka accused the government of looting taxpayers’ money.

“Neither the Bharatiya Janata Party nor the Janata Dal (Secular) flags are visible at these conventions. Yet government funds are being used. Out of the Rs 12 crore, Rs 8 crore is intended to be looted,” he alleged.

Referring to the agriculture sector, Ashoka said Karnataka’s agricultural growth rate, which he claimed stood at 17 per cent during the Bharatiya Janata Party government, had fallen to 10.4 per cent under the Congress regime.

He also alleged that the government had failed to clear Rs 700 crore in pending milk incentives to farmers and said seed prices had increased by nearly 60 per cent.

Citing National Crime Records Bureau data, Ashoka claimed that while farmer suicides had declined by 2.22 per cent nationally, Karnataka had witnessed a 22.61 per cent increase.

He said farmer suicide cases in the state had risen from 2,423 in 2023 to 2,971 in 2024, making Karnataka the second-highest state in the country in terms of farmer suicides.

“This is the Congress government’s sixth guarantee,” he remarked.

It can be noted that Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara on Monday said the state government would hold the ‘Pragatiyatta Karnataka’ programme in Tumakuru on May 19 to distribute beneficiary letters to 1,52,000 people and highlight the achievements of the Congress government after completing three years in office.

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