Belgaum, Karnataka:
Coming in the line of fire from the opposition, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today announced a judicial probe into the suicide of a sugarcane farmer in front of the state legislature during the ongoing winter session.
The announcement came as the House was rocked by the suicide, with BJP members creating a ruckus by staging a dharna in the Well of the House and demanding the Chief Minister's resignation blaming him for the "murder" of a farmer. The House was adjourned twice following commotion.
"A magisterial enquiry will be conducted into the suicide of Vittal Bheemappa Arabhavi, who had consumed pesticide outside the legislature building yesterday," he said. The probe will go into the circumstances under which Arabhavi committed suicide, he said.
During a protest, along with hundreds of others, against "inadequate" minimum support price fixed by the state-run Sugarcane Control Board, the 60-year-old farmer committed suicide by consuming pesticide.
Siddaramaiah also refuted the charges of KJP president B S Yeddyurappa, who alleged that the government and the Chief Minister were responsible for Arabhavi's suicide.
"Our government is not responsible for the farmer's suicide since we have been taking adequate measures to alleviate the problems of not only farmers but also other sections of society," the Chief Minister said.
He said as many as 180 farmers committed suicide during 2008-09, 140 in 2009-10, 117 in 2010-11 and 117 in 2011-12.
"In spite of so many deaths, has any Chief Minister tendered resignation? No government will abet suicide," he retorted.
He also gave an assurance to take punitive action against sugar factory managements failing to comply with the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 2,500 per tonne fixed.
Opposition leader H D Kumaraswamy of JDS demanded a debate on the issue.