After Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised the Left government, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said that Congress is responsible for the agrarian crisis today and he should offer unconditional apologies to farmers.
"The unrest in the Opposition ranks over the acceptance of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government is coming out in many ways. Rahul Gandhi is coming to Kerala and making extraordinary interventions. He even drove tractors for farmers and swam in the sea for fishermen. I am grateful to him for his interest in Kerala," the Chief Minister said.
"On January 16, a national media outlet reported about 70 farmers had been killed in farmers' protests in Delhi. However, Rahul Gandhi came to Kerala and declared his support for the farmers here, ignoring the farmers' struggle that was gripping the country as a whole," he further said.
He said Rahul Gandhi should offer unconditional apologies to farmers on behalf of Congress.
"All this happened as a result of ruthless anti-farmer policies. The blood of millions of slain farmers is in the hands of Congress. Rahul Gandhi should unconditionally apologize to the farmers for these crimes on behalf of Congress. These policies need to be amended. The country needs new alternatives," he said.
Holding Congress responsible for the agrarian crisis today, Vijayan said it all started with the neo-liberal policies implemented in the 1990s.
"Farmers were forced to commit suicide by being left to the unfair competition of the market and by the withdrawal of support and security from the government. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, about three lakh farmers have committed suicide in India during this period. This is due to the policies and governance reforms implemented by the Congress and which are still on their agenda today," he added.
The Chief Minister said the former Congress chief should understand what happened in the Wayanad district, which is part of his constituency.
"How did the coffee and pepper crops, the backbone of Wayanad district, collapse? Without realizing the loss, it is impossible for him to understand why farmers are still struggling on the streets of the country's capital, battling death in the bitter cold," he said.
( With inputs from ANI )
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