New Delhi: Karnataka Agriculture Minister BC Patil has passed a shockingly tone-deaf remark against farmers who die by suicide by calling them "cowards". ALSO READ | Parkash Singh Badal Returns Padma Award; How Farmers Protest Has Triggered Return Of Award-Wapasi
The Karnataka state Agriculture Minister was addressing farmers at Ponnampet in the Kodagu district when he said, "The farmers who suicide are cowards. Only a coward who can't take care of his wife and children commits suicide. When we have fallen (in the water), we have to swim and win".
Patil was talking to bamboo growers of Ponnampet, emphasizing how the agriculture sector is, in fact, profitable but "some cowards do not realise that and commit suicide", news agency PTI reported.
He then went on to cite an example of a woman who was wearing gold bangles.
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"When I enquired with her how her hands were full of gold bangles, You know what she said? She said, "This mother earth has given me for my 35 years of toil." "Doesn't this please you all after listening to this?" Patil told the gathering.
Patil said when a woman who has entirely relied on agriculture was able to earn so much why other farmers are unable to do it.
Reacting to this, Congress Karnataka unit spokesperson V S Ugrappa asked the Minister to apologise for the statement, saying he has shown disrespect to the farming community. "It's a disrespect to the farmers. He should apologise for it," Ugrappa told PTI.
"No farmer wishes to end life. There are many reasons such as floods and droughts, which have not been understood and solved yet. Instead of understanding the gravity of the problem, the Minister gives such an irresponsible statement," Ugrappa said as he advised the state minister to look into the actual reasons.
(With Agency Inputs)
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