Farmers who commit suicide are cowards & criminals: BJP Minister

The statement comes at a time when there has been widespread damage to crops due to unseasonal rains and hailstorms across India

Haryana's Agriculture Minister and Former Chief of BJP's Kisan Morcha, OP Dhankhar stirred a controversy on Tuesday by terming farmers committing suicides due to crop failure as "Cowards & Criminals".

This statement comes at a time when there has been widespread damage to crops due to unseasonal rains and hailstorms across India.

The Centre has been under pressure from the opposition who blame it for ignoring the rural distress caused by unseasonal rains. Farmers in Haryana have also been at the receiving end of some bad weather which destroyed crops and forced the state government to announce relief measures.

Dhankar however made it clear that Haryana government will not help families of those farmers and agricultural labourers who have committed suicide because the administration is not for cowards. He also targeted the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi over the alleged suicide of Rajasthan farmer Gajendra Singh and alleged that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was doing politics over the tragic incident.

The statement by the state's Agriculture Minister stands contradictory to Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar who on Monday, announced compensation of Rs 1,092 crore to farmers affected by inclement weather conditions, to be disbursed by May 15.

OP Dhankhar has twice been elected the Head of the BJP Kisan Morcha in the past. The BJP Government in Haryana and the Centre have been at targeted by a concerted opposition over what they term as apathy for the farmer.