Oppn closes ranks in RS over farmer's suicide, seeks CBI probe

Demand a reply from Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the House

Opposition today closed ranks in Rajya Sabha seeking a CBI probe into the suicide of a farmer here yesterday and demanded a reply from none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the House.

"Both the central government and the government of Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi are responsible for it," Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said, raising the issue during Zero Hour.

He told Chairman Hamid Ansari that since leaders of a number of Opposition parties have given a notice to suspend Question Hour and take up a discussion on the issue, their demand should be accepted.

Observing that the issue has caught nationwide attention and was being discussed in every nook and corner of the country, Azad said the business of the House should be suspended and a discussion be held.

"The Prime Minister should come to the House and make a statement...It should be debated and the Prime Minister himself should come to the House," Azad said prompting slogans of "shame, shame" from the Opposition benches.

He also slammed the Prime Minister saying he, as BJP's PM candidate in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls last year, had promised that he will put a check on the incidents of farmers' suicides.

Azad said that contrary to the promises, the cases of farmers' suicides are now being reported even from Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said, "Government has no problem in discussing the issue" and offered a statement by Home Minister Rajnath Singh on the "unfortuante" incident, which the Opposition rejected.

Members of Congress and Samjawadi Party trooped into the well shouting "No" and raised slogans against the government calling it "anti-farmer".

Naidu reacted sharply to it saying, "it is for the government to decide who has to reply. We are not a one-leader party," apparently hitting out at the Congress.

Ansari adjourned the House for 15 minutes as the ruckus continued.

When the House reassembled, Mayawati (BSP) said the incident required proper investigation and sought a CBI probe to ascertain the reasons behind Singh's death. She said one only hopes that the farmer was not instigated to commit suicide for "political gains" by any one.

She also suggested that loan waiver of farmers could be considered as the situation was grim and added that compensation process for crop losses was tedious and needed to be changed.