MP farmers' agitation - 35 farmers commit suicide daily under Modi rule: Congress

The Congress on Wednesday alleged that on an average nearly 35 farmers committed suicide every day in the country ever since Narendra Modi became the prime minister.

The figure stands at three in case of Telangana due to the "anti-farmer" policies of both the state and central governments, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee chief Uttam Kumar Reddy charged. "So far 2,964 farmers in Telangana have committed suicide (in the past three years). On an average, three farmers are committing suicide in the state. On the national scale, an average 35 farmers committed suicide every day during the past three-year rule of Narendra Modi," Reddy alleged while quoting the data of a survey conducted by an NGO.

Exuding confidence that the Congress will come to power in the 2019 elections in Telangana, he said their party would implement the loan waiver scheme for farmers, under which Rs 2 lakh debt of each cultivator would be written-off.

Reddy condemned the incident in which five persons were killed on Tuesday in Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur district when the farmers' agitation turned violent. Farmers in western Madhya Pradesh are protesting since June 1 demanding higher minimum support prices (MSP) for their produce, among others.

The agriculturists are also agitating in Maharashtra over their various demands, including farm loan waiver.