“B.C. Patil, Agriculture Minister, should withdraw his controversial statement on farmers,” Eeranna Kadadi, BJP Raita Morcha president and Rajya Sabha member, said in Belagavi on Friday.
Mr. Kadadi, who was here to participate in the party core committee meeting, said that Mr Patil’s reported statements describing farmers as ‘cowards who could not care of their families’ was not acceptable. “It is uncalled for. He should realise that being the Agriculture Minister, he should not make such statements. Mr. Patil should withdraw his statement,” he said.
Ramesh Jarkiholi, Minister for Medium and Major Irrigation, said he would oppose Mr. Patil’s statement. “I don’t know in what context he made that statement. But I oppose it strongly,” he said. Lakshmi Hebbalkar, MLA and Congress leader, also criticised Mr. Patil’s statement saying he had insulted the farm fraternity that was feeding the country.
