HD Kumaraswamy accuses CM of avoiding responsibility on sugarcane farmers' issues
Mysuru: Union Minister for Large and Medium Industries, HD Kumaraswamy has accused the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of shirking responsibility on the sugarcane farmers' issues and trying to avoid accountability by writing to the Prime Minister. Speaking to the media ahead of the Disha Committee meeting in Mysuru on Friday, Kumaraswamy alleged that the government has no intention of addressing the plight of farmers and is instead passing the buck to the Centre.
"The Chief Minister has written a letter to the Prime Minister because he wants to avoid responsibility. The government is failing to respond to the distress of the farmers, and every issue is being shifted to the Centre. This is the work of a government that is busy avoiding responsibility," Kumaraswamy said.
He further questioned why the Chief Minister did not take direct action to resolve the issues at hand. "If the Chief Minister was willing, this is a small issue that could be solved within minutes. But instead, the CM is playing politics on every matter. Farmers are facing problems, and the CM has written to the Prime Minister for help. Which state in the country has the Prime Minister had to intervene to solve the sugarcane growers' problems?" he asked.
Kumaraswamy also expressed his frustration with the government's approach to resolving the sugarcane farmers’ crisis, emphasizing that the CM could directly take decisions in favor of the farmers rather than playing politics. "The Chief Minister can take immediate decisions in favor of sugarcane farmers. Instead, he is passing the blame to the Centre, possibly due to pressure from local MLAs in Belagavi and the sugar lobby. But he must prioritize the interests of farmers and not succumb to such pressures," he stated.
In response to media reports suggesting that JD(S) leaders own sugar factories in Belagavi, Kumaraswamy clarified that no leader in his party owns sugar mills. "I've seen reports that JD(S) leaders own sugar factories in Belagavi. Let me clarify, none of our leaders own a sugar factory. In the past, Bandappa Kashampur had one, but he has sold it recently. Therefore, there are no sugar factories in the hands of JD(S) leaders," he said.
On the ongoing speculation about a leadership change in the Congress and the so-called "November revolution," Kumaraswamy was dismissive. "There will be no revolution in November, and there will be no upheaval either. I know Siddaramaiah’s character well, having worked with him when he was in our party. There won’t be any change. The talk about a leadership change is just political theater," he stated.
Reacting to DK Shivakumar’s statement about Congress returning to power in Karnataka in 2028, Kumaraswamy sarcastically remarked, "I know what happened to those who said 'we'll be in power in 20 or 10 years.' Let’s wait and see what happens in 2028. Who knows what the future holds? Let them talk, and we will see," he said with a chuckle.
Kumaraswamy also commented on the controversy surrounding Siddaramaiah’s proposal to turn Mysuru into a 'Greater Mysuru,' calling it a mere political rivalry between Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar. "This is just a competition between Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar. Siddaramaiah is proposing 'Greater Mysuru' while DK Shivakumar wants 'Greater Bengaluru.' Neither will happen. This is just a waste of time," he remarked, dismissing the proposal as political maneuvering rather than a genuine development plan.
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Rupee falls 9 paise to all-time low of 90.58 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): Rupee depreciated 9 paise to an all-time low of 90.58 against US dollar in early trade on Monday, weighed down by uncertainty over an India-US trade deal and persistent foreign fund outflows.
Forex traders said rupee is trading with a negative bias as investors are in wait and watch mode and awaiting cues from the India-US trade deal front.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 90.53 against the US dollar, then fell further to an all-time intraday low of 90.58 against the greenback, registering a fall of 9 paise over its previous close.
On Friday, the rupee had slipped 17 paise to close at an all-time low of 90.49 against the American currency.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.05 per cent lower at 98.35.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by 0.52 per cent at USD 61.44 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share benchmark index Sensex was trading 298.86 points lower at 84,968.80, while the Nifty was down 121.40 points at 25,925.55.
Foreign Institutional Investors sold equities worth Rs 1,114.22 crore on Friday, according to exchange data.
"FPIs continue to be in selling mode in equity and debt while RBI has been selling dollars to fund their long positions," said Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP.
