Farmer suicides in BJP-ruled states very low, mostly over personal issues: Amit Shah in Karnataka

"There have been BJP governments in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh for the last 15 years and the number of farmer suicides in these states have been very low. The suicide cases that have been registered were due to depression and farmers' personal issues," claimed Amit Shah.

Written by Pratyaksh Srivastava | New Delhi | Updated: March 27, 2018 2:32 pm
Farmer suicides in BJP-ruled states very low, mostly over personal issues: Amit Shah in Karnataka BJP president Amit Shah, who is on a two-day tour in the election-bound Karnataka, accused the Congress government of being anti-farmer and not doing enough to solve the agrarian issues in the state. (Photo: ANI)

BJP president Amit Shah on Tuesday accused the Congress-led Karnataka government of being anti-farmer” and indifferent to the agrarian crisis in the state while claiming that the number of farmer suicides in BJP-ruled states across the country has been “very low”.

“We are often told by the opposition parties that there are rampant farmer suicides in the country but I would like to inform you that there have been BJP governments in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh for the last 15 years and the number of farmers committing suicides in these states has been very low. Suicides by farmers have mainly due to depression and personal issues,” Shah told the mediapersons at a press conference in Davanagere city.

The BJP president also claimed that the “farmer-friendly” schemes launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi have been “crucial for ensuring a better future for farmers”.

“Recently, PM Modi announced the decision to provide the MSP (Minimum Support Price) which shall be one and a half times the input cost for any agricultural produce for both rabi and kharif crops. No government since India’s independence dared to take such a decision,” claimed Shah.

Remarking on the condition of farmers in BJP-ruled Maharashtra, Shah said suicides by farmers in that state have reduced by 30 per cent ever since the BJP came to power.

“Wherever there is a Congress-ruled government, the number of farmer suicides increases, and in whichever state ruled by the BJP, the number of farmer suicides decreases,” claimed BJP president.