The West Bengal government today claimed that suicides by potato farmers were not caused due to their being under debt but over personal reasons and described the row on the matter as "politics of the Opposition".
"I don't think reports of suicide by potato farmers are true. Reasons behind those deaths are entirely personal and because of family matters. Describing these deaths as suicides is not correct," West Bengal Agricultural Marketing Minister Arup Roy told reporters here.
"The Opposition is playing politics by referring to deaths of persons entirely due to some different reasons as suicide of potato farmers... It must be stopped," Roy said.
Meanwhile, a delegation of Left leaders today met West Bengal Governor K N Tripathi and sought his intervention into the matter.
Several farmers across the state have allegedly committed suicide after failing to get a good price for their potato crop.
