Deve Gowda asks farmers to revolt against government

GUNTUR - Former prime minister and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) president H.D. Deve Gowda Thursday urged farmers to rise and revolt against the central government which, he claimed, was neglecting their problems.

Addressing a public meeting organised by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in this Andhra Pradesh town to highlight the problems of farmers, Deve Gowda warned the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government that it would have to face the fury of farmers.

“The rulers who ignore the problems of farmers are destroyed,” he said.

The JD-S leader voiced concern over the spate of suicides of farmers in different parts of the country, especially in Andhra Pradesh.

He termed as “peanuts” the Rs.400 crore relief package announced recently by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for farmers who suffered losses because of the recent unseasonal heavy rains.

Lauding TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu for an indefinite hunger strike to highlight the farmers’ problems, Deve Gowda said Naidu gave a new dimension to the farmers’ struggle.

Thousands of farmers from different parts of the country attended the meeting. Communist Party of India-Marxist general secretary Prakash Karat, Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Ajit Singh and leaders of other parties addressed the meeting.

Former chief minister of Jharkhand Babulal Marandi said the country could not progress if 65-70 percent population was neglected.

Ajit Singh blamed the policies of the UPA government for the problems of farmers.