I was punished for asking for fertilizers: Teacher who is suspended for questioning minister Khuba

Bengaluru, Jun 27: A teacher, who was suspended for questioning Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers Bhagwanth Khuba from Karnataka, said that he is punished for asking for fertilizers.

"I was punished for asking for fertilizers, as I come from an agricultural background, I faced trouble last season which made me enquire from the Union minister for the same," said the teacher Kushal Patil.

The audio clip of the teacher allegedly questioning Minister Khuba had gone viral on social media earlier. Khuba's response to the teacher for questioning him had met with sharp criticism from the public.

After the audio went viral, the education department suspended teacher Kushal Patil from Hedapura village of Aurad taluk in the Bidar district.

In the purported audio clip, Khuba gets angry on being asked about the non-availability of fertilisers.

The Minister is heard saying he can't do anything about the non-availability of fertilisers and there are thousands who will take care of the supply of fertilisers and ask the farmer to go to them. "I am the minister under the government of India and take care of the states. You should go to your MLA and officers," the minister says.

The Minister claims that his duty was to send fertilisers that he has done while asking the teacher to approach the local MLA and officers. Khuba also tells the farmer that he has better things to do.

When the teacher tells the minister that he will not get elected next time, Khuba says that he knows how to win elections.

Later, Union Minister Khuba, in his clarification to the incident, stated that the person who called him on phone was not a farmer but a teacher. The media reported that he was a farmer. "He is a government school teacher and had tried to contact me three-four times", he added.

He accused the teacher of abusing him and the audio has been edited to cause damage to the party and him.