Farmers who commit suicide are cowards: Haryana agriculture minister OP Dhankar

Haryana agriculture minister and BJP leader OP Dhankar triggered a controversy by describing farmers who commit suicide as cowards and criminals not worthy of help from the government. Dhankar said farmers were running away from their responsibilities and leaving their families and children with liabilities by committing suicide. After scores of debt-ridden farmers saw their winter crops damaged by unseasonal hailstorms and rains in states such as Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab, there were reports of a string of farmer suicides.