Bengaluru, Dec 6 (IANS) Karnataka BJP has announced that it will lay siege to Belagavi Suvarna Vidhana Soudha on December 9, the second day of the winter session, condemning the Congress government’s “anti-farmers” stance.

The winter session of the Karnataka legislature will commence from December 8 and conclude on December 19.

Talking to the mediapersons, BJP State President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra, said the party has decided to lay siege to Suvarna Soudha with around 15,000 to 20,000 farmers.

He demanded Rs 25,000 per acre compensation to farmers who could not grow a second crop due to the “delay” in installing gates at the Tungabhadra reservoir.

Vijayendra has demanded a comprehensive discussion on the “problems” of North Karnataka, the “distress” faced by farmers, and the unresolved issues related to irrigation.

He said that he, along with the Leaders of the Opposition and leaders of the BJP–JD(S), had held detailed consultations regarding the upcoming winter session in Belagavi.

“Every year, the Belagavi session sees only a symbolic one-day discussion about the backward north Karnataka region. When B.S. Yediyurappa was the Chief Minister, the Suvarna Soudha was constructed in Belagavi with the hope of finding solutions to the region’s problems. But that objective is not being met,” he criticised.

“The problems of sugarcane farmers remain unresolved. Maize growers have produced 54 lakh metric tonnes. However, the Congress government has not even started procurement centres,” he alleged.

“Siddaramaiah has ordered the procurement of 5 lakh metric tonnes of maize. On the other hand, there is no procurement of toor, urad, or paddy. The Tungabhadra reservoir gate installation work, though delayed, seems to have finally begun with plans to install 32 new gates,” he noted.

He criticised Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, saying, “The commission of inquiry set up by the Congress government has given itself a clean chit.”

He pointed out that the Chief Minister’s Economic Advisor, MLA Basavaraj Rayareddy, had earlier stated that Karnataka was ranked number one in corruption, not in development.

He also reminded that senior MLA B.R. Patil’s statements on corruption had become public, and that the Chief Minister himself had admitted to irregularities in the Valmiki Corporation scam.

He said the people of Karnataka have not forgotten the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam.

Responding to a question on investigations against state leaders, Vijayendra said, “This country has a judicial system and a Supreme Court. No central government can order an investigation without evidence.”

“Regarding the National Herald case, the Gandhi family converted a public trust into a private one, removed the trustees, and appointed their own people. If D.K. Shivakumar is served a notice and asked to appear for questioning, calling it humiliation or political vendetta is sheer foolishness. Whatever the facts are, they must be faced,” he said.

Answering another question, he said the state government’s behaviour was harming the education sector. “Children will bear the consequences. We will raise all these issues in the House,” he added.

–IANS

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