Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav today targeted minister Maneka Gandhi in the Rajya Sabha over her animal love, alleging that for her, "a human being may die but a dog should not be hurt."
Yadav took digs at Gandhi while participating in a debate on agrarian crisis in the country.
"There is one minister in our country who has given an order that no one should tie animals. People do not understand that if cows and buffaloes are not tied at homes, how can they be milked," he said.
Yadav said because of this "order", animals are damaging crops and to protect their crops, farmers have to stay awake the whole night.
"If farmers fence their fields, then police will come and arrest them because it is an order by Maneka Gandhi. A human being may die but a dog should not be hurt. Otherwise, an FIR will be lodged," he said.
Maneka Gandhi is Minister of Women and Child Development.
"In Khan Market (located in central Delhi), dogs bite people every day. Dogs are everywhere. I once asked a shopkeeper why they don't shoo away the dogs. He (shopkeeper) said there is one minister Maneka who does not allow this. If such a thing is done, she files a legal case," Yadav said.
"It does not matter (to her) if man dies and if farmers' crop is damaged, but you cannot tie your cows and buffaloes... This is nothing but Tughlaq's diktat," he added.
He wondered how farmers and the country will prosper in such a scenario.
The SP leader charged that because of the policies adopted by the Centre and BJP-ruled states, animal husbandary and dairy sectors are facing a problem.
He said the revenue from milk and meat industry is almost same as from wheat and rice.
"Livestock sector is being neglected. If we neglect livestock, then how can farmers prosper and how poverty will be eliminated," he asked.
He warned that there would be a decline in revenue of milk and meat industry in coming years.
AIADMK member K R Arjunan said the Centre should release about Rs 2,500 crore as demanded by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister as drought relief package to farmers.
He also demanded that the Cauvery Management Board should be established.
Derek O'Brien (Trinamool Congress) said the BJP has not fulfilled the promise made in its manifesto related to remunerative price to farmers.
He said farmers' income in West Bengal has increased under Mamata Banerjee's rule and asked the Centre and other states to follow the West Bengal model of crop insurance scheme to farmers.
Laying on the table of the House a list of 90 farmers who have committed suicide, O'Brien said the prices of agri- products have dropped considerably.
He also spoke about agitation in Singur in West Bengal in 2006, saying farmers' land were saved from being snatched by a big corporate.
The Trinamool leader said the farmers have also been affected because of demonetisation move.
Birendra Kumar of JD(U) the Centre is "ignoring agriculture sector" and is "destroying" co-operative sector.
He said the government's demonetisation move contributed to farm crisis.
Kumar said that more than 3 lakh farmers gave committed suicides in last 21 years. He said some states have given loan waivers to farmers but the Centre is not supporting.
He said big corporates are given loan but no loan waivers to farmers.
K K Ragesh of CPI (M) said the BJP governmnet has not fulfilled its promise made in manifesto.
Stating that farmers' suicides rose by 42 per cent in 2015-16 to 12,602, he said: "It is this good days that you have offered".
Ragesh said the government is more concerned about corporates and not farmers. He said farmers are also being affected by futures trading and import policy.
The CPI(M) member also charged that insurance companies have been allowed to loot farmers as well as the government.
"Irrespective of schemes why farmers are committing suicides. You are allowing corporates to loot farmers," Ragesh said, adding that the government is ready to write off loans taken by corporates and not farmers.
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