Kolkata, Dec 11 (PTI) The BJP staged protests across West Bengal on Monday, denouncing the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government’s purported anti-farmer policies amid the reported suicides of two farmers following crop losses.
The deaths have sparked political debates in the state, intensifying the ongoing political clash between the ruling TMC and the opposition BJP.
Two farmers from Paschim Medinipur and Hooghly districts took their lives after their crops were damaged because of unseasonal rainfall.
Bapi Ghosh (50), a potato farmer from Chandrakona, Paschim Medinipur, allegedly consumed pesticide and succumbed to the effects, while Tarun Palui was found hanging in Arambagh, Hooghly district.
Ghosh’s potato crop was reportedly devastated by rainfall linked to Cyclone Michaung, while Palui faced substantial losses due to damage to his paddy crop.
Responding to the incidents, Bengal Agriculture Minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay assured compensation to farmers facing losses due to crop damage, saying, “Our government is with the farmers. We will compensate all those who have suffered losses.” As news of the death of two farmers spread rapidly, the BJP, which had earlier announced a day-long protest against the alleged anti-farmer policy, witnessed a surge in support.
In protest, the BJP organised demonstrations in all blocks of the state, decrying the alleged lack of Minimum Support Price (MSP) support for farmers and the TMC government’s purported anti-farmer policies. BJP activists and leaders carried posters, shouted slogans, and burned tyres and TMC posters at various locations.
“The farmers don’t have any crop insurance in Bengal,” asserted BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya, alleging that farmers in South Bengal districts were taking their lives due to crop destruction caused by natural calamities and unavailability of fertilisers.
In response, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh accused the BJP of baseless allegations, saying, “We all know how friendly the BJP government at the Centre is towards the farmers. The three farm bills, which the BJP later had to withdraw in the wake of farmers’ protest, is the classic example of how much farmer-friendly the BJP is. Regarding crop loss of farmers, the state government is doing everything to mitigate it.” Senior CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty dismissed both the BJP and the TMC, asserting that none of the parties is genuinely concerned about the interests of farmers. Chakraborty contended that the looming Lok Sabha election is the driving force behind the politicisation of farmers’ issue.
“They are just trying to score political brownie points from the issue. Neither the BJP nor the TMC are bothered about farmers’ issue. This is just a political gimmick ahead of the elections,” he remarked. PTI PNT SCH PNT MNB
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.