Don't resort to extreme steps: Sharad Pawar urges farmers

Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar today exhorted the farmers in Maharashtra, who have been recently hit by severe hailstorms, not to resort to the extreme step of suicide.

Several farmers' suicides have been reported from the state in the last three weeks as summer crops have been destroyed due to the hailstorms and unseasonal rains.

Speaking at a campaign rally in Georai tehsil for NCP's Lok Sabha candidate Suresh Dhas, Pawar said the state government had taken steps to bring relief to the farmers and to save the livestock. He also took on BJP leader Gopinath Munde, who is contesting from Beed, saying that Munde blames him (Pawar) and his nephew Ajit Pawar (Deputy Chief Minister) for everything and anything.