BJP launches scathing attack on Karnataka state government over farmers' suicides

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has severely criticized the Congress government after the latest report by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) revealed a significant increase in farmer suicide cases in Karnataka.

Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, A.R. Ashok, accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of playing "politics of guarantee" over the bodies of dead farmers. Referring to the NCRB report "Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India 2024" released on Thursday, Ashok said that Karnataka has recorded a 22.61 percent increase in farmer and agricultural laborer suicide cases. According to him, the number rose from 2,423 in 2023 to 2,971 in 2024.

He questioned the state government over the increase, asking what it signifies when several other states in the country have seen a decline in farmer suicide cases. The BJP leader claimed that the latest NCRB data has exposed the reality of the Congress government's anti-farmer policies. He said Karnataka's rise to the second spot in the country in terms of farmer suicides is proof of the government's failed claims and governance.

Ashok stated that Karnataka has become the second-worst state in the country in terms of farmer suicides, which, he said, is the true picture of the Congress government. He alleged that the state government is spending crores of rupees on advertising its guarantee schemes while farmers are struggling with crop losses, rising debts, increased electricity prices, and water scarcity.

He further said that farmers are not getting the right price for their produce and the government is consistently ignoring the deteriorating condition of the agricultural sector. Ashok asked if this is the pro-people government that the Congress had promised, when farmers are neither getting fair compensation for their crops nor any value for their lives.

Ashok directly targeted Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, saying that instead of solving farmers' problems, he seems more occupied with the ongoing political activities and leadership change speculations within the Congress party.