234 farmer suicides in one year in Chhattisgarh: BJP leader

Amid the Bharat bandh to protest against the Centres new farm laws, BJP general secretary and Chhattisgarh in charge D Purandeswari on Tuesday said 234 farmers had committed suicide in the Congress-ruled state in the last one year.

Amid the 'Bharat bandh' to protest against the Centre's new farm laws, BJP general secretary and Chhattisgarh in charge D Purandeswari on Tuesday said 234 farmers had committed suicide in the Congress-ruled state in the last one year. She said the new laws were meant to help farmers and eradicate middlemen and not end the APMC mechanism as alleged by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.

She said the Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi had spoken previously about ''ending the APMC Act''. The sole focus of the new laws was to allow farmers to sell their produce to anyone, anywhere at the best prices, she said.

''In Chhattisgarh, 234 farmers have committed suicide in the last one year. What right does CM Baghel and Congress have to say that they are protectors of farmers,'' she asked.