HD Kumaraswamy Joins Farmers in Mandya After Mysuru Chalo Padayatra

Mandya (Karnataka) [India], August 11: After completing the 10-day Mysuru Chalo Padayatra on the MUDA scam, JDS leader and Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy participated with farmers in Mandya district to plant paddy saplings. He expressed joy over the good rains this year, which have made farmers happy to work in the fields.

The paddy saplings were planted in the fields of farmer Lakshman in Sithapur village of Pandavapura taluk in Mandya district. Kumaraswamy said, “This is my family members program. Farmers are my family and joining them for this year’s cultivation is the happiest moment for me. I am happily joining our farming committee. We have planted saplings today by joining our farmers. Farmers are really happy about my involvement with them.”

He also mentioned that HD Deve Gowda, his father, is from the farmer community and that farming is in their blood. Last year, farmers suffered due to poor rainfall, but this year they are happy because of the good rains.

Kumaraswamy expressed his disappointment at not receiving the Agriculture portfolio in the Union Cabinet. He said, “I expected that the Agriculture portfolio would be given to me. Our Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has worked as the CM of Madhya Pradesh three times. He also knows the problems of the farmers and he will do a better job. He has given full confidence to the farming community that they will get all kinds of strength. People are now expecting a lot from Shivraj Singh Chouhan.”

Earlier, Kumaraswamy stated that the primary objective of the Janata Dal (Secular) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is to oust the current government, not just Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. This statement was in response to the ongoing controversy involving Siddaramaiah, who is alleged to be involved in the Valmiki Corporation and Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam.

The BJP-JD(S) coalition conducted a week-long protest march, the Mysuru Chalo Padayatra, demanding Siddaramaiah’s resignation over his alleged involvement in the MUDA and Valmiki Corporation scams. In response, the Congress launched the ‘Jan Andolan Yatra’ to counter the BJP’s allegations and the padayatra.

A complaint was filed by social activist Snehamayi Krishna, accusing Siddaramaiah and nine others of forging documents to claim compensation from the Mysuru Urban Development Authority. The complaint alleges that Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathy, his brother-in-law Malikarjuna Swamy Devaraj, and others created fake documents to obtain plots worth crores of rupees.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah accused the BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) of making allegations against him to weaken the government after their “Operation Kamala” failed. The BJP has demanded that the land given to the Karnataka CM’s family be returned, accusing Siddaramaiah of usurping lands that belonged to the Dalit community.