Gandhinagar: While maintaining that the number of farmers committing suicide due to agriculture related issues was negligible, the Gujarat government on Monday told the Assembly there could be other reasons that drove a farmer to end his life.
During a heated debate on the issue between opposition Congress and ruling BJP in the Assembly, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani accused the former of politicizing the issue of farmers suicide.
During Question Hour, Congress MLA Kalabhai Dabhi had sought to know the number of suicides registered in Kheda and Anand districts.
In his reply, Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja said 90 persons had ended their lives in Kheda and 111 persons had committed suicide in Anand district last year.
Jadeja added not a single farmer had committed suicide in these two districts due to farming related issues.
Taking exception to Jadeja's claims, Leader of Opposition Paresh Dhanani asked if police, while registering the FIR, wrote 'agriculture' as the profession of a farmer or farm labourer when he ends his life.
Jadeja maintained the number of farmers committing suicide due to agricultural distress was negligible in the state, and when Dhanani kept on repeating his question, CM Rupani accused the Congress leader of politicizing the issue.
"Pareshbhai is trying to politicize the issue. What he is trying to say is that if a farmer commits suicide, it was only because of some agriculture related issue. Police cannot blindly believe it was the profession of the farmer which was responsible for his suicide," said Rupani.
"A farmer can have many other issues which could drive him to end his life. It is always a matter of investigation whether suicide was because of any agriculture related issue or because of any other reason," he said.
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