K’taka Minister sparks controversy with ‘farmers wish for droughts’ remark

Karnataka Minister for Sugar and Agriculture Marketing Shivanand Patil’s statement that farmers wish for repeated droughts in the state so that their loans get waived has caused a stir, with the opposition on Monday terming it as an ‘affront’ to the farming community and seeking his removal from the Ministry.
Coming down heavily on the Congress government over the remark, the BJP has urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to take his resignation.
Patil had in September stoked a controversy for his statement that cases of farmer suicides started rising after the compensation amount to the kin of the deceased was hiked from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.
Speaking at an event in Belagavi on Sunday, Patil said, “Krishna river water is free, current is also free. The Chief Minister also gave seeds and fertilizer. Farmers will only wish that there should be repeated droughts, because their loans will be waived. You should not wish that way — even if you don’t wish there will be drought once in …