Modi government's policies responsible for farmers' suicide: Former VHP leader Pravin Togadia

Former Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Pravin Togadia on Saturday held the “wrong policies” of the Narendra Modi government for farmers' suicides in the country and also said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) should stop considering the farmers as a "vote-bank".  Togadia, who floated Antar-Rashtriya Hindu Parishad (AHP), took part in a 20-km march --- from Dehgam to Gandhinagar in support of the farmers --- which was organised by the Rashtriya Kisan Parishad (RKP), an AHP wing.

"The government has betrayed and tortured the farmers to the limits. Enough is enough. Farmers are being crushed under a mountain of debt and are committing suicides due to wrong policies of the government. This government should resign if they cannot do justice to the farming community", said Togadia as quoted by news agencies. He also the prime minister of "betraying" farmers by "not keeping" promises.

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"Modi had promised that recommendations made by the Swaminathan Commission for farmers in its report will be implemented in toto. But, as usual, he betrayed farmers on this promise too. The government has also fooled farmers in the name of Minimum Support Price (MSP) declared recently", the former VHP leader said as quoted by news agency PTI.

Commenting on the problems faced by the farmers in Gujarat, Togadia alleged the BJP government is favouring industries over farmers by supplying them with water and electricity. "Though a canal passes from Dehgam, local farmers do not get water from it. On the other hand, industries are getting water generously. Crop insurance is a scheme to fill the pockets of some insurance companies. If this continues, such protests would take place across the country", he said.

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Togadia pressed for several demands such as a total debt waiver for farmers, a separate budget for agriculture, better MSP, and implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendation and said that, "If the government fails to act now, farmers would teach a lesson to the ruling BJP in the 2019 polls", he said.