Scindia, Tharoor hit out at govt over farmers’ plight in MP

Former Union ministers in UPA government Jyotiraditya Scindia and Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday underlined that it was the Congress which accorded top priority to farmer issues.

They were addressing villagers during a Kisan Aakrosh Rally at Shuklahari village under Dabra sub-division, some 60 km from Gwalior.

They said Congress policies and programmes were always farmer-centric while the BJP governments, both at the Centre and state were pursuing anti-farmer policies.

Tharoor, who was in Gwalior to take part in the Scindia School Fort (Boys) founders’ day function, accompanied Scindia to the Kisan rally.

Apparently Tharoor was overwhelmed by the response in rally, which drew farmers and party workers both in large numbers.

Scindia, while launching a blistering attack on the BJP over farmer suicides said that though such cases were being reported from various parts of the country, it was more in BJP-ruled states including Madhya Pradesh.

Besides, Scindia also attacked the government for corruption, hoarding, black-marketing of essential commodities and apathy. He also slammed the NDA government led by Modi at the Centre for drop in agriculture production as compared to UPA regime.

Scindia said Modi should take cue from UPA government’s bold initiative to waive farmers’ debt to the tune of Rs 72,000 crore at the time of their (farmers) crises.

Scindia demanded the state government that all 30 districts with insufficient rainfall be declared drought-affected, farmers be exempted from paying their electricity dues, cooperative loans be waived off, fertilizers and seeds be distributed free of cost and relief package announced at the earliest.

Scindia took pot shot at RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s reservation review comment, saying BJP and RSS were anti-reservation.

Tharoor was quick to connect with the rural gathering, telling them in the beginning of his speech that he hailed from Kerala’s capital Thiruvananthapuram, so they will have to bear with his broken Hindi dialect.

Tharoor took a dig at Modi government for rising food prices including pulses which is selling for approximately 200/per kg, by equating it with murgi (chicken).

First Published: Oct 22, 2015 12:09 IST