Hours after chief minister BS Yeddyurappa renounced the honorary doctorate conferred on him and expressed his desire to be called just the son of a farmer, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha president KC Puttannaiah ridiculed the chief minister's commitment to farmers. He also announced that farmers would intensify their fight against the Bellary airport project. Puttannaiah spoke to Hemanth Kumar on the issue.

Your comments on chief minister BS Yeddyurappa's preference to be called a farmer's son?
The announcement is a cheap political gimmick. I will call it 'politricks'. There are no Gandhis in today's politics. If Yeddyurappa really wants to lead a simple life, then he should eschew his hunger for power and stop splurging huge funds to win elections.

Are you not convinced about his commitment to the farmers' cause even after his green budgets?
His adamant stand to acquire over 1,000 acres of fertile irrigated lands in Bellary for constructing an airport for his ministerial colleagues and mining lords has exposed his hollow commitment. The chief minister has not cared to visit the farmers who were injured in the police lathi-charge in Bellary while they were protesting against the land acquision.

But infrastructure development is essential for speedy development of this backward area?
We are not opposing development. There are huge tracts of dry lands spread over thousands of acres in Bellary. Why can't they plan to build the airport on such dry lands. The source of livelihood of hundreds of poor farmers is being snatched away to facilitate the business interests of just a few mining lords and politicians.

So what is the next plan of action of the farmers?
The Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha is holding a huge farmers' rally in Hospet on March 2 to chalk out the future course of agitation against the airport. We cannot afford to relax till the government changes its decision. We will force the government to change the location of the airport. They should seriously consider expanding the existing airport in Bellary instead of constructing a new one.

Will you support the agitation being planned by JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda?
Whether to join hands with the JD(S) or going on our own, all these issues will be discussed at the March 2 rally. But the agitation will be intensified in the coming days, that is for sure.

Hemanth Kumar/ DNA-Daily News & Analysis Source: 3D Syndication