For JD(S) men, woman farmer is a Deal Rani'

Hubballi: Two days after Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy's "Where were you sleeping?" remark against a woman sugarcane grower kicked off a furore, the Kodagu JD(S) unit posted derogatory comments on her on social media calling her a "Deal Rani" on Wednesday. 

It asked how much money she had been paid by the BJP for taking on the Chief Minister and the state government over the sugarcane crisis and posted a photograph of her with state BJP chief, B.S. Yeddyurappa.  The woman in question,  farmer leader,  Jayashree Gurannavar,  had barged into the Suvarna Vidhan Soudha in Belagavi along with four sugarcane-laden lorries by breaking open its locks on Monday and  loudly criticised Mr Kumaraswamy for failing to come to the rescue of the farmers. 

The Chief Minister had shot back, asking, "thayee (mother) where were you sleeping for the last four years?" and later refused to apologise for his remark. 

The Kodagu JD(S) unit's attack on the woman only angered the farmers more as they protested before  the office of the deputy commissioner in Belagavi, demanding an adequate price for the sugarcane and settlement of their dues by the factories.     

Seeing another row brewing, the JD(S) men quickly deleted their post on Facebook and Ms Jayashree herself charged that a conspiracy was afoot to smear her character. "I have been living with dignity in a rented house and have never entered into any kind of deal as alleged by the JD(S) post. I appeal to Chief Minister Kumaraswamy to take action against thoseresponsible for this post," she said.