Karnataka government under fire over fertiliser shortage
Tuesday, 24 June 2008, 15:39 IST
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Bangalore: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Karnataka came under attack from the opposition Monday over the police killing of a farmer during protests against fertiliser shortage. Congress and Janata Dal-Secular legislators tried to move an adjournment motion on the June 10 firing at Haveri in north Karnataka. But speaker Jagadish Shettar declined permission, saying the issue could be raised during discussion on the motion of thanks to the governor for his address to the legislature. The assembly began its four-day session Monday to discuss the motion. Pressing for adjournment, opposition leader Mallikharjun Kharge and former chief minister and JD-S leader H.D. Kumaraswamy mocked Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa for taking oath in the name of farmers and allowing the police to open fire on farmers seeking fertilisers. Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minsiter S. Suresh Kumar told the opposition that since a judicial prove into firing had been ordered, the house could discuss the issue once the report is submitted. Besides the Haveri firing, the opposition targetted the government over continuing sucide of farmers. Ten farmers have taken their lives since the Yeddyurappa government came to power May 26. Relatives, farmers' bodies and the opposition claim that these farmers committed suicide because they could not get fertilizer or they had debts they could not repay. But Yeddyurappa says that in most cases it was family quarrels that led to the deaths. The chief minister has blamed the central government for the fertiliser shortage in the state. The BJP Monday organised protests in all 29 district headquarters attacking the central government for not meeting Karnataka's fertiliser requirment.
Source: IANS
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