Ashamed to sit in Parl, won’t attend till farmers’ issue taken: Deve Gowda

Voicing reservations over the ongoing disruption in Parliament, former Prime Minister and JD(S) chief H D Deve Gowda today said he was “ashamed” to sit in Parliament and that he has “no interest” to attend the session till the farmers’ suicide issue is taken up for discussion.

“I have no interest to go to Parliament and sign the attendance register to take (daily allowance of) Rs 2,000. I do not want to go to Parliament till the issue of farmers is taken up,” said Gowda, who observed fast at Jantar Mantar here slamming the government for its “negligence” towards farmers.

The former Prime Minister said two national parties are taking up the issue of corruption in a way “as if they want to remove corruption tomorrow”.

“The corruption issue can be discussed for any length of time… How corruption has started. When it is going end, I do not know. But the life of a farmer is so precious… More than 6,000 farmers have committed suicide in the whole country. Some states are suppressing the information,” he said.

When BJP was in Opposition for 10 years, it disrupted the House and now NDA has come to power, the UPA is disturbing the House, he said.

“I am ashamed to sit in Parliament. This is not the way to run Parliament. The Prime Minister is not even speaking even a word in Parliament on this issue. I never expected this… I do not want to go to Parliament till the issue of farmers is taken up under rule 193. I have determined I do not want to go to Parliament to sign the attendance register to take Rs 2,000,” the JD(S) chief said.

“I cannot enter Parliament unless the issue under the rule 193 is finally decided by the Speaker and the Business Advisory Committee in cooperation with the Leader of the House and Leader of the Congress Party,” Gowda said during the fast on farmer issues, along with leaders of various constituents of Janata Parivar and Left parties.

The former Prime Minister insisted that the BJP and Congress should allow them to discuss the issue of farmers.

Gowda also chose the occasion to give a call for early unification of the constituents of erstwhile Janata Parviar efforts for which were started last year itself.

Asking Samajwadi Party to take the lead, he said Mulayam Singh Yadav should lead the entity, which has split into various groups over the time. Gowda said that constituents of Janata Parivar should put up a united front.