Bengaluru: All India Congress Committee Vice-President Rahul Gandhi will be visiting Bengaluru on July 23 before embarking on a padayatra in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh.
Party sources told Deccan Chronicle that Mr Gandhi is expected to spend a night in Bengaluru before going to Andhra Pradesh. Soon after his arrival here, he is expected to meet Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President Dr G. Parameshwar and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to know steps taken by the government to prevent unchecked farmers’ suicide in the last two months.
Sources said there had been a demand from senior Congress leaders that Mr Gandhi should visit at least one or two villages to send out a message that the state government was with them. There were others who felt that it would be embarrassing for Rahul as he cannot attack a government of his party as he has been doing in BJP-ruled states.
Pressure is mounting on Mr Gandhi to meet one or two families of deceased farmers before going to Andhra Pradesh since opposition parties have been claiming that he is partisan and has not bothered to visit Karnataka where more than 80 farmers have ended their lives in the last four months. In the last 17 days, over 60 farmers have committed suicide due to agrarian problems.
Sources said the CM decided to visit two villages in Mandya and two villages in Mysuru district to escape criticism that he did not visit any village despite a spurt in suicides. Besides, his visit is aimed at conveying a message to the high command that he too visited a few villages in spite of the ongoing session.
Sources claimed that former CM Mr S.M. Krishna advanced his two-day visit to Mandya, his home district where over 20 farmers have committed suicide this month alone, after he learnt of Mr Siddaramaiah’s proposed visit to the district. The CM is said to be upset with Mr Krishna’s visit prior to his visit.
To avoid embarrassment, Mr Siddaramaiah has been saying, “Mr Krishna is our leader, there is nothing wrong in his visit prior to my official visit.”
