BJP squandering on celebrations when farmers dying from drought: Congress

The Congress party on Saturday, criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Government at the Centre for organizing an event to celebrate their two-years in office, saying the funds used for such an extravagant event could have been utilized instead to provide relief to farmers committing suicide in Maharashtra.

Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal said his party is 'pained and concerned' about the attitude of the government and asked as to what the Centre had done for the farmers since coming to power.

"All the money that you are spending for the celebration of two-years, they should actually sent it to Kisans in Marathwada, Latur, Beed, Nandhed and other places," he said.

Taking a swipe at the Prime Minster Modi, Sibal said that the former keeps calling himself a follower of Mahatma Gandhi, but asked if the father of the nation would have attended the celebration event, with farmers suffering in different parts of the nation.

"Narendra Modi says he is a follower of Mahatma Gandhi, if Mahatma Gandhi were here today what would he have done? Would he have gone to the India gate and celebrated in the company of glitterati when farmers in Marathwada and Vidharba are dying," he said.

"When 3228 suicides have been committed till date, the maximum that has ever happened since 2001.What have they done to the farmers in two years. India lives on farmers," he added.

When asked about the plight of farmers during the UPA regime, Sibal, however, retorted, "It was never like this, it was never as bad as this."

A mega event is set to be organised at India Gate here on Saturday evening to mark the completion of two years of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and most of his ministerial colleagues are expected to attend the event. Besides this, the government has launched a series of events to highlight its achievements.