Rahul Gandhi’s visit to console farmers who’ve suffered huge losses due to drought and mounting debts on Wednesday left some of them even more distressed than before after their fields with standing crops were cleared for the Congress vice president’s rally.
Crops cleared for Rahul’s rally
“I had grown maize on four acres of land in Gudaguru, but was asked to remove it before it was harvested. I tried to convince the Congress leaders to spare me and find another location. My request was turned down and I was under constant pressure from them. Finally, I removed the crop and have suffered a huge loss,” farmer Nagappa Hirebidari of Ranebennur said.
Another farmer, Krishnappa Lamani of Gudaguru Lambani tanda, said: “I had taken a loan of Rs 80,000 to grow cotton on two acres of land. I struggled a lot to grow cotton, which was ready to be harvested in next few days, but was forced by some local leaders to remove the crop.” Chandra Nayak, Con gress Gudaguru tanda official, said, “Though we faced resistance from farmers, we successfully convinced farmers to remove their crops. As far as compensation is concerned to the farmers, who have sacrificed their crops for Rahul’s function, our local MLA has assured to compensate them properly once the function is over.”
‘Don’t defecate along Rahul’s route’
The villagers of Maiduru and Gudaguru hamlets in Ranebennur taluk of Haveri district in Karnataka have been issued a diktat: Do your morning business out of Rahul Gandhi’s way. On Saturday, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi was due to take up a 7-km padayatra at 9.30am in the taluk. Maiduru and Gudaguru fall along his route, where at least 75 per cent of the population defecates in the open. The villagers had begun following the directive and walked 3-4km to answer nature’s call.
