A purported audio clip in which Karnataka Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Umesh Katti is heard asking a farmer to 'die' has gone viral.
The farmer seemed to have called the minister with a query about lowering the quantity of rice being given via the public distribution system from 5kg to 2kg.
Katti can be heard justifying the decision, saying that even though the quantity of rice is reduced, the government has substituted it with Ragi for South Karnataka and Jowar for North Karnataka.
When the farmer replied that the government had not yet begun the supply of Jowar, Katti responded by saying, 'Go ahead, die and stop calling me.'