Karnataka Leader of the Opposition and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader R. Ashoka on Saturday, 4 July accused the state government of pursuing an anti-farmer agenda, warning that a government which repeatedly drives cultivators to the streets will ultimately face the people's verdict. His remarks came as farmers in Mandya continued a sit-in on the Bengaluru–Mysuru Highway, demanding the release of water from the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) reservoir into irrigation canals to save standing crops.

The Mandya Protest and KRS Water Demand

The agitation in Mandya centres on the release of water from the KRS reservoir into irrigation channels serving the command area. Ashoka alleged that thousands of acres of standing crops — including sugarcane — were drying up because of the absence of irrigation water, putting farmers' livelihoods at direct risk. He noted that the situation had deteriorated to the point where protesters were cooking and eating meals on the highway itself, a detail he cited as evidence of what he called the government's 'complete failure' to address agrarian distress.

This comes amid broader drought-like conditions and acute water scarcity reported across parts of Karnataka, compounding the pressure on farming communities already struggling with the current monsoon season.

Police Action and Detentions

Ashoka alleged that more than 100 farmers were detained by police when they attempted to lay siege to the office of the Cauvery Neeravari Nigam. He questioned whether arrest and intimidation constituted the government's response to farmers demanding their rightful share of irrigation water. Critics argue that such detentions signal an administration more focused on containing dissent than resolving the underlying water-release dispute.

Compensation Demand and Call for Immediate Action

Addressing Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar directly, Ashoka urged the government to immediately release water from the KRS reservoir into irrigation canals. He further demanded that if crop losses become unavoidable, the state should provide compensation of ₹50,000 per acre to every affected farmer during the current monsoon season. He argued that forcing farmers onto the streets was not governance.

School Infrastructure Failure in Davanagere

Ashoka also raised a separate concern regarding a government school in Jagalur town, Davanagere district. According to him, the school has more than 600 students, including over 300 girl students, but its toilets have reportedly been locked due to a lack of water supply and poor maintenance. He alleged this was forcing girl students to use open spaces near the school compound.

He further alleged that although significant public funds had been spent constructing the toilets, they remained unusable, and questioned where the money had gone. Ashoka also claimed that rainwater leaks into classrooms during the monsoon and that broken window panes were forcing children to attend classes in unsafe conditions. He urged Chief Minister Shivakumar to personally visit the school and direct the district in-charge minister to provide basic infrastructure immediately.

Demand for a Full-Time Education Minister

Ashoka additionally demanded that the Karnataka government appoint a full-time Education Minister without further delay, describing the administration as one that had 'failed to take off' even after a month in office. His remarks signal a broader BJP offensive against the ruling Congress government on multiple governance fronts ahead of what is expected to be a prolonged political battle over Karnataka's agricultural and administrative record.