Maharashtra agriculture minister Manikrao Kokate
Credit: X/@kokate_manikrao
Mumbai: Maharashtra agriculture minister Manikrao Kokate on Thursday said he will have to check the figures of farmer suicides put out by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a social media post.
Earlier in the day, Gandhi attacked the Narendra Modi government over farmer suicides in Maharashtra, saying it remains indifferent to farmers' plight even as they sink deeper into debt every day.
In a post on X in Hindi, the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha accused the government of ignoring farmers' demands for a loan waiver and a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for crops. Gandhi also shared a screenshot of a news report which put the number of farmer suicides in Maharashtra in the first three months at 767.
"I am not associated with the Centre, I am part of the state government. I need to check this figure of farmer suicides. I don't know where he (Gandhi) got these numbers," Kokate told PTI Videos.
On BJP MLA Babanrao Lonikar berating critics of the state government by claiming the ruling party has given them the clothes they wear and other amenities like mobile phones that they flaunt, Kokate said the former has already apologised.
"He has already apologised in the House. What more has to be done now?" asked the NCP leader.
Incidentally, Kokate was ridiculed by NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, who held a banner calling him "mister jacket". The minister is often seen wearing blazers.
Asserting that the Devendra Fadnavis government had taken several measures for the welfare of farmers, Kokate said he was ready to discuss all issues related to the sector in the legislature.