West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee hit out at the BJP Wednesday, saying farmers were committing suicide in the states ruled by the saffron party.
She questioned why the farmers were not getting food in the states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and why was there no proper respect for women and teachers in these states.
"Why did 12,000 farmers commit suicide in the BJP-ruled states? Why do you (BJP governments) not feed the farmers?," Banerjee asked, while speaking at a rally at Bajkul in East Midnapore district.
Several farmers in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have committed suicide this year mainly due to crop failure, debt and inability to repay bank loans.
Thousands of farmers from across the country had held a massive protest in Delhi on November 29 to press for their demands, including debt relief and remunerative prices for their produce.
Keeping up her attack against the BJP, Banerjee asked, "Why do you (BJP) not show respect to teachers and women? Why do you kill people? Why do you create differences, leading to violence and vandalism in the country?"
The BJP, she said, was against both Hindus and Muslims, adding, "It has driven away Bengalis from Assam and Biharis from Gujarat. It drives away Muslims at times and Hindus at times from the country.... Of the over 40 lakh people kept out of the complete NRC (National Register of Citizens) list in Assam, 23 lakh are Hindu Bengalis."