Revenue Minister R. Ashok on Friday hit out at Congress leaders for “instigating farmers” to hold protests opposing the land reforms and APMC Bills passed by the State legislature.
He accused Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah and KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar of being “unemployed”, and therefore supporting farmers’ protest.
Requesting the farming community not to “succumb to the anti-BJP propaganda” tactics of the Opposition party, the Minister said it was the Congress which took initiative to amend sections 79 A and 79 B by constituting a Cabinet sub-committee when V. Srinivas Prasad, now a BJP MP, was the Revenue Minister in the Siddaramaiah government.
Farmers of the State have been protesting against farm laws passed by both State and Central governments. Congress leaders supported the farmers’ protest and the bandh call. The Karnataka Land Reforms (Second) Amendment Bill, 2020, passed in the State Legislature, has removed restrictions on purchase of agricultural land.
