BJP members led by leader of the Opposition Jagadish Shettar on Monday staged a walkout in the ongoing Monsoon Session of the Karnataka Assembly over the issue of police firing at farmers protesting the setting up of a 2000 MW thermal plant at Kudagi in Bijapur district on Saturday.
Shettar blamed the ruling Congress Government-led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for the firing over protesting farmers which caused injuries to two farmers. He blamed Siddaramaiah of not keeping his words during the session held at Belgaum that no farmers would be lathi charged and fired.
He said “The promise has been broken. What happened to itIJ The government is anti-farmers. Government, instead of a magisterial probe on the matter should order a high-level judicial inquiry by a High Court or retired High Court Judge and should compensation to farmers injured in police firing and in the violence”.
In his reply Home Minister K J George said police fired at the protestors in defence as they had gone berserk. Dissatisfied with George's reply, Shettar said the government has not spoken a word on conducting a judicial inquiry and withdrawal of cases against the protestors. Other BJP members raised slogans against the government, branding it as anti-farmers, and staged a walkout.
JDS floor leader H D Kumaraswamy said the farmers were not against the project but against the land acquisition. The government should immediately call a meeting with farmers and reduce the trust deficit between them, he said.
Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah said the cases against protestors will be withdrawn only after studying the report of the magisterial inquiry, to be submitted in next 40 days. The Government has decided to give Rs one lakh to those who suffered bullet injuries and Rs 25,000 to those who sustained injuries during lathicharge, the CM said.
Siddaramaiah on Sunday visited the injured farmers and had expressed regret over the incident of police firing at agitating farmers in Kudagi in Bijapur district. The Chief Minister termed the incident 'unexpected' and 'unfortunate', and said he has ordered an inquiry, which will be supervised by the Bijapur Deputy Commissioner. This project was started during the BJP Government.