Bengaluru, July 4 : Senior BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition, R. Ashoka, on Saturday alleged that the Karnataka government was adopting an anti-farmer approach and warned that if growers continue to be harassed and repeatedly forced onto the streets, the government itself would face the consequences.

In a statement, Ashoka alleged that the government had once again demonstrated its anti-grower mindset by "pushing already distressed farmers, reeling under drought-like conditions and acute water scarcity, back onto the streets instead of addressing their grievances."

Referring to the ongoing farmers' protest in Mandya, he said the agitation demanding the release of water from the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) reservoir into irrigation canals to save standing crops had exposed the government's "complete failure."

Ashoka said the situation had become so dire that farmers were cooking and eating meals on the Bengaluruâ??Mysuru Highway while staging their protest to demand their rightful share of irrigation water. He questioned whether Karnataka had ever witnessed such an "insensitive government."

He also criticised the police action against protesters, alleging that more than 100 farmers were detained when they attempted to lay siege to the office of the Cauvery Neeravari Nigam. "Is arrest and intimidation the government's answer to farmers asking for water?" he asked.

The BJP leader further claimed that thousands of acres of crops, including sugarcane, in the KRS command area were drying up due to the lack of irrigation water, putting farmers' livelihoods and the future of their families at risk.

Addressing Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar, Ashoka said forcing farmers to take to the streets was not governance. He urged the government to immediately release water from the KRS reservoir into irrigation canals to save standing crops.

He further demanded that if crop losses become inevitable, the government should provide compensation of Rs 50,000 per acre to every farmer affected during the current monsoon season.

Ashoka also warned the government against testing the patience of farmers, saying that no government which ignores the tears and anger of the farming community can escape the verdict of the people.

Ashoka further criticised the state government over the poor condition of a school in Davanagere district, alleging that it reflected the overall state of government schools across Karnataka.

According to Ashoka, the Jagalur town government school has more than 600 students, including over 300 girl students. However, the toilets have reportedly been locked because of a lack of water supply and poor maintenance, forcing girl students to use open spaces beside the school compound.

He further alleged that although lakhs of rupees had been spent on constructing the toilets, they remained unusable. "Where has all that money gone? Has it ended up in the pockets of ministers, legislators, officials and contractors?" he asked.

Ashoka also claimed that rainwater leaks into classrooms during the monsoon and that window panes are broken, forcing children to attend classes in unsafe conditions.

Addressing Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, whom he referred to as an "educationist by choice," Ashoka urged him to immediately visit the school in Jagalur and direct the district in-charge minister to provide the necessary basic infrastructure.

He also demanded that the government appoint a full-time Education Minister without further delay and bring greater urgency to what he described as an administration that had "failed to take off" even after a month in office.

/IANS