1,180 K'taka Farmers Died By Suicide, Is Empathy Reserved For Non-Cong States, Asks BJP's Ashoka To Rahul Gandhi

(MENAFN- IANS) Bengaluru, July 3 (IANS) The Karnataka BJP has questioned Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, whether his empathy for farmers is reserved only for states not governed by the Congress party.

The party criticised Rahul Gandhi for raising concerns only about farmers' suicides in Maharashtra and not about their plight in Karnataka, where over 1,180 farmers have committed suicide in 15 months.

The Karnakaka Assembly Leader of Opposition, R. Ashoka, said on Thursday, "Mr. Rahul Gandhi, Before you shed crocodile tears about Maharashtra farmers, take a hard look at the devastating reality unfolding in your own party-ruled Karnataka. In just 15 months, over 1,180 farmers have died by suicide, a staggering and shameful figure confirmed by the state government itself. And yet, you remain conspicuously silent."

Questioning his silence, Ashoka said, "No visit to grieving families, no expression of sorrow, no call for accountability. Why this silence, Rahul ji? Is empathy only reserved for states not governed by your party?"

"Instead of questioning your own government's criminal neglect, you continue to look the other way. You speak of justice, but refuse to demand it from within your own house. Is CM Siddaramaiah immune to criticism simply because he belongs to your party? Is the suffering of Karnataka's farmers invisible to your conscience?"

The BJP leader, while attacking the Congress scion, said that true leadership means "holding your own accountable, not just attacking others for political mileage".

He said if Rahul genuinely cares about India's farmers, then the place to begin is Karnataka, as "otherwise, your compassion rings hollow, and your outrage feels manufactured".

"Until you find the courage to confront failure within your own ranks, please spare the nation these crocodile tears. The farmers of Karnataka are not tool-kits for your politics, they are citizens who deserve dignity, justice, and action," Ashoka chided.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has accused the Central government and the Bharatiya Janata Party of being indifferent to farmers' demands. He has stated that due to this, under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government, there is a rise in farmer suicides in the country.

Sharing a news report on farmer suicides in Maharashtra, Gandhi charged that the government was "watching with indifference".

"In just 3 months, 767 farmers in Maharashtra have taken their own lives. Is this just a statistic? No. These are 767 shattered homes. 767 families that will never recover. And the government? Silent," the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha said in a post on X.

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