Questioning the authenticity of the 18-20 per cent agriculture growth rate registered by Madhya Pradesh, Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia today claimed that 21,000 distressed farmers committed suicide under the BJP rule in the state during past 13 years.
"Madhya Pradesh claimed to have registered 18-20 per cent growth in agriculture production. If this claim is real, then why 21,000 farmers have committed suicides during the past 13 years and why migration from rural areas of state continued unabated," Scindia told reporters amid his ongoing 72-hour long 'Satyagraha' here.
"The villagers are migrating to other places for jobs. During the past six days alone, nine farmers have committed suicides in state including the farmers in CM's own constituency," said Scindia, Congress' Chief Whip in Lok Sabha.
He quipped that instead of 'Krishi Karman Award', Madhya Pradesh government should have been given 'economic magician award'.
To a question, Scindia said according to Hindu traditions, the people should visit the home of the deceased, but the (state) chief minister called them (the family members of farmers killed in police firing at Mandsaur on June 6) to Bhopal for meeting them on the stage.
Scindia also alleged that the state government has been targeting the Congress leaders to implicate them in the police cases during the farmers' stir.
He reiterated that the party would extend the legal support to such leaders.
He also said if BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra can announce farm loan waivers, then why the party-ruled Madhya Pradesh cannot do this.
He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited several countries during past three years but not the home of "even a single farmer".
The venue of remaining period of the total 72-hour long 'Satyagraha' of Congress would be shifted to Khalghat in Dhar district where former union minister Kamal Nath is slated to address the agitating cultivators.
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