Rahul Gandhi's recent visit to Maharashtra was flayed in Rajya Sabha by the Bharatiya Janata Paty and Shiv Sena, which described it as "political tourism" that yielded nothing as the state was witnessing a spate of suicide by farmers.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, BJP leader Prakash Javadekar said five farmers in Vidarbha committed suicide on International Labour Day on May 1, while 900 farmers have committed suicide in six districts of the state in the last eight years of the United Progressive Alliance.
"More than 370 farmers have committed suicide since January. These are not suicides but killings and the name of the killer is UPA...Rahul Gandhi had promised help to Kalavati, whose farmer husband had committed suicide, but she has to wage a battle to get her dues. Two more people from her family also committed suicide later," Javadekar said.
Backing Javadekar on the issue, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said, "Rahul Gandhi went to Maharashtra four days ago. It was political tourism. People did not get anything from this political tourism except some assurances."
Raut also pointed to the suicide of three farmers including Gajanand Ghotekar, a cotton farmer in Yavatmal region in April.
"Gajanand, in his suicide note, urged people not to vote for Congress and NCP saying these parties do not care to farmers. A person does not tell a lie at the time of his death. Hence the government and Parliament should take his words seriously," Raut said.
Demanding urgent steps in view of the drought in the region, he said the pace of steps being taken by the government and the administration in the state was very slow.
"Even 25 per cent of the announcements made by the government have not actually reached the farmers," he said.
Javadekar said that instead of making efforts to end the woe of farmers, ministers in Maharashtra are arguing that figures of suicide are exaggerated.
He said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had announced a package of over Rs 3,000 crore to Vidarbha but the government and the 'babus' devoured the entire money.
He said that while cotton farmers are prospering in the in BJP-ruled Gujarat, the same farmers in Maharashtra are committing suicide.
Javadekar said the government should immediately help these farmers through a comprehensive package and an action plan.
