New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday attacked the Narendra Modi government over farmer suicides in Maharashtra, saying it remains indifferent to farmers’ plight, even as they are sinking deeper into debt every day.
The BJP, however, debunked the charge saying politics of counting the dead is disgusting and demanded answers from Gandhi on how 55,928 farmers committed suicide in Maharashtra during the 15-year tenure of the NCP-Congress government from 1999 to 2014.
In a post on X in Hindi, the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha accused the government of ignoring farmers’ demands for a loan waiver and a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
On Wednesday, opposition members walked out of the Maharashtra assembly twice over issues of farmer suicides and non-payment of dues to soybean cultivators in the state.
Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar claimed in the assembly that 767 farmers committed suicide in Maharashtra between January and March this year. While 200 cases were declared ineligible for aid, inquiries are pending in 194 cases, he said.
Gandhi also shared a screenshot of a news report which put the number of farmer suicides in Maharashtra in the first three months at 767.
“Think about it… in just 3 months, 767 farmers committed suicide in Maharashtra. Is this just a statistic? No. These are 767 destroyed homes. 767 families that will never be able to recover. And the government? It is silent. It is watching indifferently,” the former Congress president said.
“Farmers are sinking deeper into debt every day as seeds, fertilizers and diesel are expensive. “But there is no guarantee of MSP. When they demand a loan waiver, they are ignored,” he charged.
“But (what about) those who have crores? The Modi government easily waives their loans. Just look at today’s news — Anil Ambani’s Rs 48,000 crore SBI ‘fraud’,” he said.
“Modi ji had said that he would double the income of farmers. Today the situation is such that the life of the farmer is being halved.
“This system is killing farmers — silently, but continuously and Modi ji is watching the spectacle of his own PR,” Gandhi said.
BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya hit back, sharing a chart on X which claimed that 55,928 farmers committed suicide in Maharashtra during the 15-year tenure of the NCP-Congress government.
“The politics of counting the dead is disgusting, but it is necessary to show the mirror to people like Rahul Gandhi,” he said.
Before opening his mouth, Rahul Gandhi should recall the sins committed by the NCP-Congress government during its tenure in Maharashtra, the BJP leader said.
“First tell why 55,928 farmers committed suicide in 15 years of Congress-NCP (Sharad Pawar) government in Maharashtra,” he said.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also said that in Maharashtra, 767 farmers have committed suicide in 3 months, meaning 8 farmers are ending their lives every day.
“Financial distress, rising debt, ruined crops, the high cost of fertilizers, seeds and diesel, and not getting fair prices for crops have become a noose around the farmers’ necks.
“Narendra Modi ji’s government has waived 16 lakh crore rupees for a few billionaires, but never even thought about saving the lives of farmers, to whom they promised to ‘double income’,” she said in a post in Hindi on X.
Countering Rahul Gandhi, BJP spokesperson Shehzaad Poonawala said, “Leader of Hypocrisy Rahul Gandhi, your 15-year Congress-NCP rule (1999-2014) in Maharashtra saw a staggering 55,928 farmer suicides – 16,512 (1999-2004), 20,566 (2004-2009), and 18,850 (2009-2014) – as per NCRB data cited by P. Sainath. Your regime’s neglect caused 3,729 deaths yearly!”
“Here is what BJP govt did which your govt never did — Launched PM-KISAN for ?6,000/year income support. Increased MSP based on Swaminathan Committee recommendations. Introduced Soil Health Card Scheme for better farming. Started PM Fasal Bima Yojana for crop insurance. Established e-NAM for better market access.
Set up Agri-Reform Panel in Maharashtra. Expanded Kisan Credit Card access. Initiated Jalyukt Shivar for irrigation. Promoted organic farming via PKVY. Supported Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs),” Poonawala said in his post on X.
