Bhatti breaks silence on Khammam farmer’s suicide; Congress tries to give political colour

The suicide of the farmer, who said he had voted for the Congress hoping for a pro-farmer government but was forced to end his life, had triggered outrage across Telangana.

Khammam: Even as the Chief Minister and Agriculture Minister were quick to respond to the suicide of a farmer, Bojadla Prabhakar, in Madhira constituency here, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka spoke about the incident only on Wednesday, two days after the incident on Monday.

The suicide of the farmer, who said he had voted for the Congress hoping for a pro-farmer government but was forced to end his life, had triggered outrage across the State. However, the Deputy Chief Minister, who represents the constituency, had not made any statement. On Wednesday however, speaking to the media in Hyderabad, he expressed regret on the incident and said a detailed enquiry was being conducted. Action would be taken against the accused, whoever they were, as per law and no one would be spared, he said. This is in the wake of allegations that the accused were his followers.

---

The Khanapuram Haveli police, who booked 10 persons in the case, have not yet made any arrests. It was said that the police have been enquiring if Prabhakar was instigated by others to consume the pesticide to end his life.

Meanwhile, Congress leaders in the mandal have been trying to give a political colour to the death of the farmer, especially after the embarrasment caused by the farmer’s statement in the suicide video that he had voted for the Congress. The party’s Chintakani mandal president Ambati Venkateshwar Rao alleged that BRS leaders had made the farmer to consume liquor and encouraged him to give a statement against the Congress and its leaders in the mandal before leaving him at the spot where he ended his life.

However, the BRS has denied this. BRS leaders Lingala Kamal Raju and Kondabala Koteshwar Rao also visited the house of the farmer at Proddutur in Chintakani mandal on Wednesday and consoled his family members. They also visited the disputed land at the village. Speaking to the media, they said Prabhakar and his family had a pattadar passbook and were cultivating the land for the last 40 years. But some individuals tried to deprive him of the ownership of the land, forcing him to end his life.