Srinivasa seeks Krishna's apology

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, OCT. 22. The remarks of the Chief Minister, Mr. S.M.Krishna, that the former Prime Minister, Mr. H.D.Deve Gowda, cannot ``keep the farmers tied to his shawl'', has evoked strong resentment from Mr. K.H.Srinivasa, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council.

The Janata Dal(S) leader told presspersons here on Monday that Mr. Krishna should also realise, by the same yardstick, that he could not keep the farmers ``covered under his wig''. Criticising the Chief Minister for saying that the JD(S) did not have the power of attorney to talk about farmers, Mr. Srinivasa said it was foolish to expect them to obtain power of attorney. Such statements made one wonder if the Chief Minister was in some primitive age, or if there was an emergency in the State.

Mr. Srinivasa reminded the Chief Minister that nobody had given the State to him as a ``jagir'', and sought an apology from Mr. Krishna as his remarks were an insult to all JD(S) members. The statements were in poor taste and should not have been made at such a function.

Agreeing with Mr. Krishna, who had also said that the shedding of tears by some would not wipe the tears of the farmers, Mr. Srinivasa said the former should realise that the tears of the farmers could not be wiped out by police opening fire on them as they did in Vitlenahalli, near Channapatna.

None of the ministers or officers had cared to visit the village so far to comfort the families of victims of police firing. His party was ready to withdraw the agitation by farmers if the Government accepted his challenge and held a public meeting there, Mr. Srinivasa said.

As for the agitation by farmers seeking permission to tap neera from coconut palms affected by the mite menace, he said this had not come about suddenly. It was the result of the continued indifference of the Government which was afraid of taking a decision which would offend the excise lobby.

The remarks of the Agriculture Minister, Mr. T.B.Jayachandra, that he was planning to convene an international seminar on neera was a cruel joke on farmers. The statement of the Home Minister, Mr. Mallikarjun Kharge, that the neera agitation would be crushed was not the language of a civilised government.

Mr. Srinivasa said he had written to the Director- General of Police seeking a clarification about the person in whose custody the bodies of the two farmers, who died in police firing, were kept, and if Mr. Varade Gowda, a close associate of Mr. Deve Gowda, had indulged in politics by keeping the bodies in his house, but had received a vague reply.

According to Mr. Srinivasa, the DGP had said they were matters covered under the proposed judicial inquiry and it was not proper to disclose them. This meant that the judicial inquiry seemed to be directed against Mr. Gowda and others, and was not meant to look into the police firing.

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