The Congress on Monday said while farmer suicides in the BJP-ruled States like Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh continued unabated, leaders of the ruling party including Chief Ministers of these States refused to acknowledge them.
“How shameful! When farmers in Uttar Pradesh reeling under the burden of debt are committing suicides, UP Chief Minister and Ministers are going to other States claiming that all is well in UP,” Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tweeted in Hindi.
Raising the issue at a press conference, party spokesperson Ragini Nayak said in poll-bound Maharashtra, 12,800 farmers had committed suicide in the past five years of the BJP government led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
“It won’t be an exaggeration to say the pitiable condition of farmers that existed during the British Raj can be seen under this government too,” said Ms. Nayak.
Ahead of the October 21 Assembly polls in Maharashtra and Haryana, the Congress spokesperson also shared a heart-wrenching photograph of a 38-year-old farmer hanging himself in Buldana (Maharashta) wearing a T shirt that had the BJP slogan: Let’s bring back this government.
“Barely 10 km from where Mr. Fadnavis was blowing his trumpet, this young man killed himself for a few thousand rupees,” she said.