Initiating a short-duration discussion on the "farmers' distress leading to rise in the incidents of thier suicide" Digvijay Singh (Cong) accused the government of being "insensitive" to plight of the agriculturists.
He said farmers in Madhya Pradesh had faced bullets recently on the centenary of Champaran agitation in which Mahatma Gandhi had raised his voice against British exploitation.
He termed the imposition of import-export duties on foodgrains as one of the biggest scams.
Foodgrain imports, which stood at Rs 134 crore in 2014- 15, have risen to Rs 9,009 crore now, he said.
Singh alleged that it was the wrong import-export policies which had led to imports of Rs 1,40,268 crore in 2015-16 as against Rs 56,000 crore in 2011-12.
Singh quoted Swaminathan to say that import of agricultural commodities was like outsourcing farmers' skill to outside.
Expressing concern over 42 per cent rise in incidents of suicide in 2014-15 in the country, Singh said agriculture has been reduced to loss-making proposition despite it contributing about 17 per cent to the GDP.
The Congress leader also alleged that there was corruption in Food Corporation of India (FCI) and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED).
He alleged that after demonetisation, it was restrictions on cattle sale that had hit the farmers.
He quoted Savarkar as saying that he was against ban on cow slaughter.
He alleged that the crop insurance policy was nothing but to benefit industrialists.
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