Belagavi: Upset over the Centre's failure to waive off their loans, farmers heckled state BJP chief, B S Yeddyurappa and other leaders for the second day on Saturday during the party’s parivartana yatra in Belagavi district. While a large number of farmers had heckled Mr Yeddyurappa near Saudatti on Friday, more of them led by Rajya Raitha Sangha leader, Honnappa Pujari, confronted him holding black flags at Sangankeri near Gokak Saturday evening, asking why he was not appealing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to waive their loans given by nationalised banks. They also shouted slogans against him for his failure to help resolve the state’s dispute on the Kalsa-Banduri project with Goa.
The yatra was delayed for an hour at Sangankeri while the BJP leaders tried to assure the farmers that they would bring pressure on the Centre to help them.
Later, arriving at Ramdurg, Mr Yeddyurappa promised that he would implement the Mahadayi project within a month of the BJP coming to power in the state in 2018 and to also hold talks with CMs on the Kalsa-Banduri project.
Recalling that the last BJP government in the state had released Rs 100 crore for it, he blamed the Congress for the failure of the Mahadayi project to take off.
Promising the people that his party would link rivers to provide them irrigation, Mr Yeddyurappa said his government would implement most of the pending projects. Addressing a rally at Mudalgi later in the evening, he surprisingly showered praise on local MLA Balachandra calling him a powerful leader, who had proved his mettle by succeeding in getting the area a taluk status. Union Minister for Fertilisers Ananth Kumar spoke.
