Congress slams Minister Radha Mohan Singh’s remarks

‘Dubbing farmers’ stir a media stunt has exposed Centre’s anti-farmer attitude’

Spiralling protests: Vegetables lying scattered on a road as farmers’ strike enters the third day at Hisar in Haryana.

Congress leaders on Sunday termed Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh’s remark on the ongoing farmers’ strike or ‘gaon bandh’ as “insensitive and full of arrogance”.

Commenting on the farmers’ protest, Mr Singh said on Saturday that “people are doing stunts, trying to do something unique..” to get media attention.

Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewlala said the remark exposed the anti-farmer attitude of the ruling BJP government at the Centre and exposed its lack of concern to the problems of the farming community.

Responding to the Minister’s remarks, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh said a Minister who did not connect with the woes of the farmers had no business holding the portfolio.

Terming the remark extremely shocking and shameful, Capt. Singh said while farmers were resorting to extreme steps out of sheer desperation and the masses were reeling under the impact of the spiralling prices of essentials, Mr. Radha Mohan Singh clearly had no qualms on showing his lack of sensitivity to their problems.