Modi responsible for farmers' suicide, says Rai

Actor Prakash Rai on Wednesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was responsible for all suicides committed by farmers post-2014.

Speaking at the farmers' conference organised by the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene at the National College Grounds, Rai said, "Modi should accept that he is responsible for the deaths of farmers if he has conscience."

"All political leaders are lying. They promise food and other benefits for the farmers and seek votes. They are killing farmers," he said, adding time had come for us to send some people to jail.

Rai said, "Modi, three years ago, said half of the government's expenditure will be for farmers if voted to power. But after coming to power, all he thinks of is industrialists and businessmen."

Rai said he was not interested in joining any party. "People are busy saying I belong to this party or that, it is their problem. I do not belong to any party and I am here to work for the people of my land," he said.

In his speech, activist Anna Hazare, who inaugurated the conference, said he was launching a massive hunger protest at Ramleela Maidan in Delhi from March 23.

Hazare asked if anybody had seen businessmen or industrialists committing suicide.