“Don’t ignore them”:  Priyank Kharge urges Karnataka government to respect farmers

Belagavi (Karnataka) [India], November 6 (ANI): A 38-year-old farmer, Basavaraj Sattur, from Jamkhandi in Bagalkot district, has recovered after falling seriously ill following his detention by police during a farmers’ protest. He is currently undergoing treatment at BIMS Hospital in Belagavi, said Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge. 
Kharge said, "Basavaraj, who has a history of open-heart surgery, reportedly fell ill after being taken into police custody. His condition led some farmers to believe that he had died, and some even offered prayers for his soul to rest in peace."
Speaking to the media, Basavaraj alleged that police treated him inhumanely during custody and did not provide him with drinking water.
“Yesterday, the police took me into custody during the farmers’ protest. The police treated me inhumanely. They did not give me water to drink. I am receiving treatment at this district hospital. I am comfortable,” he said.
Kharge appealed to Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar to pay attention to the farmers’ concerns.
“CM DK Shivakumar, don’t ignore the farmers. I request you to respect the farmers,” he said. (ANI)
On the Bengaluru family murder case, Kharge described the incident as unfortunate and said preliminary findings suggested that the killings were planned and involved the accused person’s wife’s family.
He said, “It’s a very unfortunate incident, and it looks like it’s a pre-planned thing within the family. The one who has been accused of murder has pre-planned and murdered close to seven people who are relatives of his wife.”
“In the investigation, it’s too early to say, but it appears that he has been subjected to humiliation from his wife’s side, but it’s definitely a twisted mind that has done the job. He has given the whereabouts of the bodies across the state,” he added.
Kharge defended the Congress government’s welfare guarantee schemes, saying they were introduced to support people amid economic difficulties, inflation, job losses and other challenges.
He said welfare programmes naturally involved expenditure but maintained that Karnataka had followed fiscal discipline and had not crossed the limits prescribed under the Fiscal Responsibility Act.
“Whenever our Siddaramaiah sir presents the budget, we talk about fiscal responsibility. We have never crossed that limit in our state. Take any of the neighbouring states, Telangana, Andhra, Maharashtra or Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh; they crossed it a long time ago. But we have always maintained fiscal discipline, and we will continue to do so. But yes, welfare comes at a cost,” he said. (ANI)