Following the death of a farmer in an alleged case of suicide by consuming poison near the Vidhana Soudha in Belgaum, the BJP has decided to intensify the protest to press for farmers' demands including fixation of remunerative price for sugarcane.
They have been protesting for the last four days outside the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha and the government is yet to come out with its response to their demands.
In Dharwad, BJP president Prahlad Joshi termed the death of the farmer, Vithal Arabhavi of Raibag, as the result of the "irresponsible" attitude of the Congress government towards farmers' plight and he demanded the resignation of chief minister Siddaramaiah on moral grounds.
"We will join the farmers in their agitation and the BJP will hold protest demonstrations at all the district headquarters," he asserted. The government should accede to the farmers' demands and negotiate with both farmers and sugar factory owners.
Based on the outcome of the negotiation, the government should subsidise the farmers, Joshi demanded.
"The BJP tried to bring the adjournment motion on the issue of fixing sugarcane price and it was not allowed. The government did not make its stand clear on the demands of the farmers. The BJP, which had passed the State Advisory Price (SAP) Act during its regime, has been pressing for the implementation of the Act. But the Siddaramaiah government has been unresponsive. It is more concerned about Shaadi Bhagya and Karnataka Darshana schemes," Joshi said, and added that the family of deceased Vithal Arabhavi should be paid a compensation of Rs 10 lakh immediately. He said, the BJP would give the family Rs 2 lakh.
Joshi alleged that the state government had also faltered in handling the issue of foot and mouth disease and crop insurance. The government had delayed by three months the payment of its share of insurance amount to the tune of Rs 62 crore.
Meanwhile,on Wednesday afternoon Vithal Arabhavi, a farmer from Kankanawadi village of Raibag taluk of Belgaum district who was participating in the protest demonstration consumed poison at the venue. He was rushed to the KLE hospital in Belgaum for treatment but he died in the evening.
Vithal, a small farmer with two acres of land, is survived by two sons and three daughters.
As the news of Vithal's death spread, there was commotion at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha as well at the ground opposite Soudha where the farmers have been staging protest.
The farmers demanded that the body of the deceased farmer be handed over to them while chief minister Siddaramaiah who visited the KLE hospital instructed the hospital authorities to hand over the body to the family of the deceased.
Apprehending law and order problem, police were deployed in large numbers at the venue.
Meanwhile, the Assembly was adjourned. The BJP MLAs wearing black ribbons in the Assembly hall demanded that the House be called. Former chief ministers Jagadish Shettar, D V Sadananda Gowda of BJP, H D Kumaraswamy of JD(S) attacked the government accusing it of being indifferent to the farmers' pleas and demanded payment of Rs 10 lakh compensation to the family of deceased farmer immediately.
Sadananda Gowda and Shettar demanded that the government should have held talks with the owners of sugar factories and farmers' representatives and finalised the price of sugarcane after amicable settlement.
The farmers have been demanding Rs 3,500 per tonne of sugarcane and compensation for the loss suffered from Bt Cotton's cultivation. The issue was also raised in the House on Tuesday and it was expected that the government would come out with its reply on Wednesday. But that was not to be.
BSY ends dharna
Former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa who had launched a day and night dharna in the House demanding extension of Shaadi Bhagya scheme to girls belonging to all BPL families ended his protest on Wednesday. He said he would be joining the protesting farmers. He also announced a compensation of Rs 6 lakh to the family of Vithal Arabhavi.
They have been protesting for the last four days outside the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha and the government is yet to come out with its response to their demands.
In Dharwad, BJP president Prahlad Joshi termed the death of the farmer, Vithal Arabhavi of Raibag, as the result of the "irresponsible" attitude of the Congress government towards farmers' plight and he demanded the resignation of chief minister Siddaramaiah on moral grounds.
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Speaking to reporters here on Wednesday, Joshi said, farmers from north Karnataka and other parts of the state had been staging protest demonstrations outside the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belgaum even before the commencement of the winter session of the legislature. But, the government had failed to heed their pleas even after three days of the session.
"We will join the farmers in their agitation and the BJP will hold protest demonstrations at all the district headquarters," he asserted. The government should accede to the farmers' demands and negotiate with both farmers and sugar factory owners.
Based on the outcome of the negotiation, the government should subsidise the farmers, Joshi demanded.
"The BJP tried to bring the adjournment motion on the issue of fixing sugarcane price and it was not allowed. The government did not make its stand clear on the demands of the farmers. The BJP, which had passed the State Advisory Price (SAP) Act during its regime, has been pressing for the implementation of the Act. But the Siddaramaiah government has been unresponsive. It is more concerned about Shaadi Bhagya and Karnataka Darshana schemes," Joshi said, and added that the family of deceased Vithal Arabhavi should be paid a compensation of Rs 10 lakh immediately. He said, the BJP would give the family Rs 2 lakh.
Joshi alleged that the state government had also faltered in handling the issue of foot and mouth disease and crop insurance. The government had delayed by three months the payment of its share of insurance amount to the tune of Rs 62 crore.
Meanwhile,on Wednesday afternoon Vithal Arabhavi, a farmer from Kankanawadi village of Raibag taluk of Belgaum district who was participating in the protest demonstration consumed poison at the venue. He was rushed to the KLE hospital in Belgaum for treatment but he died in the evening.
Vithal, a small farmer with two acres of land, is survived by two sons and three daughters.
As the news of Vithal's death spread, there was commotion at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha as well at the ground opposite Soudha where the farmers have been staging protest.
The farmers demanded that the body of the deceased farmer be handed over to them while chief minister Siddaramaiah who visited the KLE hospital instructed the hospital authorities to hand over the body to the family of the deceased.
Apprehending law and order problem, police were deployed in large numbers at the venue.
Meanwhile, the Assembly was adjourned. The BJP MLAs wearing black ribbons in the Assembly hall demanded that the House be called. Former chief ministers Jagadish Shettar, D V Sadananda Gowda of BJP, H D Kumaraswamy of JD(S) attacked the government accusing it of being indifferent to the farmers' pleas and demanded payment of Rs 10 lakh compensation to the family of deceased farmer immediately.
Sadananda Gowda and Shettar demanded that the government should have held talks with the owners of sugar factories and farmers' representatives and finalised the price of sugarcane after amicable settlement.
The farmers have been demanding Rs 3,500 per tonne of sugarcane and compensation for the loss suffered from Bt Cotton's cultivation. The issue was also raised in the House on Tuesday and it was expected that the government would come out with its reply on Wednesday. But that was not to be.
BSY ends dharna
Former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa who had launched a day and night dharna in the House demanding extension of Shaadi Bhagya scheme to girls belonging to all BPL families ended his protest on Wednesday. He said he would be joining the protesting farmers. He also announced a compensation of Rs 6 lakh to the family of Vithal Arabhavi.