Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday attacked the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government over the alleged suicide of a “debt-ridden” farmer in Baghpat district. Calling the incident "heart wrenching", the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said the condition of farmers under the Bharatiya Janata Party's rule in the state is "exposing the lies" of the government.
The attack by the SP leader came after a 45-year-old farmer allegedly died by suicide on Tuesday at Biharipur village. The farmer, Chaudhary Anil Kumar, was found hanging from a tree in his neighbour's field, news agency PTI reported.
“The incident of suicide by a debt-ridden farmer in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh is extremely heart-wrenching! Such conditions of farmers under BJP rule are exposing all the lies of the government. After all, till when will the farmers of the state endure all this?” Yadav tweeted in Hindi, with a hashtag #Nahi_Chahiye_BJP (Don't want BJP's rule).
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The report, quoting the farmer's relatives, said the farmer was depressed for not being able to repay his loan. The relatives of the deceased further said that he had taken a bank loan of about ₹7 lakh and ₹3 lakh from a local moneylender.
{{/usCountry}}The report, quoting the farmer's relatives, said the farmer was depressed for not being able to repay his loan. The relatives of the deceased further said that he had taken a bank loan of about ₹7 lakh and ₹3 lakh from a local moneylender.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, in another tweet, Yadav appealed to the people of Uttar Pradesh, well-wishers of farmers, workers of the SP and its allies to observe "Lakhimpur Kisan Smriti Diwas". "Light a 'Kisan smriti dweep' (light an earthen lamp in the memory of farmers and honour them," the leader said, in reference to the recent Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
At least eight people died in the Lakhimpur violence, including four farmers and a local journalist, after they were allegedly mowed down by a vehicle carrying the son of Union minister of state Ajay Kumar Mishra.
On Monday, Yadav said he will not contest the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections slated to be held next year. Yadav is an MP from Azamgarh in eastern Uttar Pradesh. He has never contested the assembly polls in the state.