Adityanath being 'insensitive' towards farmers losing crops to stray cattle: UP Cong

The Uttar Pradesh Congress on Saturday accused the Yogi Adityanath government of being "insensitive" towards farmers whose crops are destroyed by stray cattle.

Claiming that one such farmer in Agra committed suicide after losing his crop to bovines, the Congress said that the BJP government was not bothered about finding a solution to the grave problem.

"Yogi government is directly responsible for the problem of stray cattle. It is not serious towards finding a solution to this problem. This government which is trying to gain political mileage in the name of cow is not thinking on how to use the cattle for the benefit of farmers," UPCC president Ajay Kumar Lallu said in a statement.

Alleging that special cess imposed on Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and beer to fund stray cow shelter homes, grazing grounds and other cattle protection-related activities have fallen prey to corruption, Lallu said pressure is being exerted on officials to use development fund for upkeep of cow shelters.

"This is the height of insensitivity and apathy," he said.

The UPCC president claimed that a farmer Rajesh Kushwaha in Bah area of Agra committed suicide after stray cattle destroyed his crop and said farmers are facing immense hardships because of the wrong policies of the BJP government.

Lallu who also met the family of Kushwaha on Friday asked the chief minister to fix responsibility for his suicide and demanded a compensation of Rs 25 lakh.

The UPCC president asked Adityanath to compensate farmers after assessing the losses caused to their crops by stray cattle as well as give allowance to the farmers who are guarding their fields from the animals.