‘Farmers Hope for Drought', 'You Can Wear Hijab’: How Karnataka Cong is Suffering from Foot-in-Mouth Disease

How often do you see leaders of a ruling party putting their foot in their mouth? With the Congress government in Karnataka it is far too often.

Three senior Congress members, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, have found themselves embroiled in controversies after making statements that seem unguarded.

The latest instance involves Karnataka Minister for Sugar and Agriculture Marketing Shivanand Patil, who asserted that “farmers hope for droughts” so that their loans can be waived off. Patil’s statement not only caused a stir but prompted the opposition to demand his resignation for being insensitive.

This is not the first time Patil has courted a controversy. In September this year, he said farmer suicides had increased after the compensation amount for the kin was raised from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.

Patil’s recent insensitive comment came during a private function in Karnataka’s Belagavi. He mentioned that water from the River Krishna was free for the people, as was electricity. Patil highlighted how Karnataka is grappling with one of the worst droughts in recent years and referred to how chief ministers, including Siddaramaiah (present), BS Yediyurappa and HD Kumaraswamy had announced loan waivers during droughts when farmers were unable to repay their loans.

“The chief minister has also provided seeds and fertilisers for the farmers, and now they (farmers) will only wish for droughts to happen repeatedly so that their loans can be waived off by the government. You should not wish in that manner — even if you do not do so, we will see drought every three to four years,” minister Patil was heard saying.

Karnataka BJP Chief BY Vijayendra lambasted Patil for being “irresponsible” with his comments, and recalled how his statement on farmer suicides in September reflected arrogance and insensitivity.

“Shivanand Patil has once again insulted the farmers. I urge the chief minister to call him immediately and reprimand him. If he is unable to reform, he should resign,” Vijayendra said.

Just a day before Patil’s statement, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah did a volte-face on the hijab ban issue.

While speaking at a function in Nanjangud on December 24, Siddaramaiah, in response to a question on hijab, stated that his government had decided to withdraw the ban. He said he had instructed officials to initiate the process. The CM stressed that there was no restriction on what to eat or wear in Karnataka and added that women who want to wear a hijab can do so and go anywhere they please.

“You can go around wearing a hijab; I have already given instructions to my officials to lift the ban. What you wear and what you eat is your choice. Why should I come in the way? You wear any clothing you want; you can eat whatever you want; why should I be worried? I will eat what I want. It’s very simple,” the chief minister declared amidst a cheering crowd.

Hours later, Siddaramaiah backtracked, claiming that he only meant to convey that his government was considering lifting the ban, and no formal decision had been made. The BJP seized on the issue, calling it an “irresponsible statement on the hijab issue,” with the intent to disturb the “secular nature” of educational institutions in the state. The resulting backlash saw the CM reversing his stand and saying that “the government will look into it”.

A third controversy arose when Karnataka housing and minority minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan posted pictures of flying in a luxurious private jet with Siddaramaiah and another minister, Krishna Byre Gowda, among others. A video showing Zameer inside the jet with the background song ‘Dekho Dekho Dekho Chalta Hai Sultan, Dekho Dekho Dekho Lalkar Hai Sultan’ went viral on social media.

The BJP heavily criticised the Congress government in Karnataka for travelling in a luxurious jet and “flaunting wealth and lifestyle” during drought-like conditions. The BJP argued when austere measures should be adopted by the government, the Congress was ostentatiously displaying financial power.

In response to the controversy, CM Siddaramaiah counter-questioned, “How does Prime Minister Narendra Modi travel? You must ask this question to the BJP. Which plane does Mr. Modi travel in? He travels alone. Why does he travel alone? The leaders in the BJP have nothing better to do than raise such trivial issues all the time”.

Karnataka Leader of Opposition R Ashok questioned the intent of the Congress leaders who, in an “entourage, went in a luxurious special flight to seek the Centre’s help to handle drought. Don’t they have an idea of the rough times the people of Karnataka are facing?”

Minority minister Zameer had in November found himself in another controversy when he claimed during an election campaign in Telangana that “the best-of-the-best BJP leaders stood before Speaker UT Khader, a Muslim, and bow their heads saying ‘Sahab Namaskar’”. Zameer wanted to make a point that it was the Congress who made a minority leader the Speaker, a first in Karnataka’s legislative assembly history.

R Ashok accused Zameer of bringing disgrace to the Speaker’s chair and attempting to create communal prejudice. Khader reacted, stating that the post he assumes is constitutionally significant and transcends politics and religion.