Hooda blames Centre for farmer suicides

Tells Khattar to address farmer issues or step down, seeks implementation of Swaminathan panel recommendations

Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Hooda on Sunday alleged that the “antifarmer” policies of the BJP-led central government were responsible for farmer suicides in the country.

Addressing a ‘Kisan Panchayat’ in Rewari, Hooda called BJP’s three-year-rule in Haryana and Centre more regressive than the British Era for farmers.

“Farmers in the country are at crossroads. They are staring at a disaster due to the government’s anti-farmer policies which are responsible for cases of farmer suicide,” he said.

“The government should either address farmers’ issues or step down. It had promised to implement Swaminathan Commission’s report and give 50% profit to farmers on their expenditure. But in reality, it is pushing farmers deeper down in losses,” he said.

The former CM, who has announced to hold such panchayats in all 22 districts of the state to protest against the government, claimed 35 farmers were committing suicide everyday in country due to the BJP’s antifarmer policies.

“Farmers in Ahirwal region are well aware of the trouble they had to face in selling mustard and bajra. The government agencies did not even procure their crops on MSP for 15 days, leading to losses up to ₹400 per quintal for farmers,” he said.

Hooda also asked the state government why it could not waive off farm loans like UP, Maharashtra and Punjab. He also raised his resentment with GST, saying the new taxation system has worried traders. He said their struggle led to the Supreme Court’s order on SYL canal in their favour, but demanded the state government to convince Centre for its construction.

Highlighting the internal bickering of the Congress once again, former Vidhan Sabha speaker Raghuvir Kadian introduced a resolution in the panchayat to make Hooda the chief of Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee. HPCC president Ashok Tanwar had recently staged a separate protest against the government on similar issue.

ASKS WHY THE STATE GOVT CAN’T WAIVE FARM LOANS LIKE IN UTTAR PRADESH AND MAHARASHTRA