Rahul Gandhi's drive in Mandya and Haveri districts comes against amid a spurt in farmers suicides in Karnataka.
Launching a walk in Karnataka's drought-struck countryside, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi today urged farmers not to commit suicide and said it was not a solution to their problems.
On the second day of his tour of Karnataka to meet families of farmers who had committed suicide, Rahul started about a seven-kilometre-long 'padayatra' from Maidur village in Haveri district of north Karnataka.
On the first stop of his walk, the Congress leader interacted with school students in Maidur. Asked how he would solve the farmers' problems if he became the Prime Minister, Mr Gandhi said the country should be run by the citizens and they should be empowered to solve their problems.
He also met the farmers in Rannebennur, where they raised concerns over the Kalasa-Banduri water sharing dispute between Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra. About 50 farmers from Nargund and Navalgund and Hubli-Dharwad were present.
The farmers urged Mr Gandhi to help resolve the matter.
The Kalasa-Banduri Nala project, to utilise water from the inter-state Mahadayi river, is being undertaken by Karnataka to improve drinking water supply to the twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad and the districts of Belagavi and Gadag, over which Goa has reservations.
Protests are on by several organisations and farmers across districts of North Karnataka demanding implementation of Kalasa-Banduri project.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, also in charge of party affairs in Karnataka, and State Congress President G Parameshwara are accompanying Mr Gandhi on his visit to farmers.
The Congress drive in Mandya and Haveri districts comes against amid a spurt in farmers suicides in Karnataka with 541 farmers killing themselves in the last six months.