CM Devendra Fadnavis backs agriculture minister Eknath Khadse on farmer suicide figures

Backing the state agriculture minister Eknath Khadse on the issue of farmer suicides, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday maintained that the information provided by state agriculture minister on farmer suicides was right. Khadse challenged Congress leaders to move a privilege motion in the house instead of politicising the issue.

After union minister Radha Mohan Singh's revelation in Parliament that Maharashtra minister for agriculture said three farmers had killed themselves and left behind suicide notes, the Opposition parties had criticised the state government.

Khadse had maintained that out of 601 farmers who committed suicide, three had written suicide notes and he had only conveyed the facts to the union minister.

When the chief minister Devendra Fadnavis held a press conference to apprise the media of the cabinet's decisions, he was asked about the exact figure of farmer suicides in the state. Fadnavis maintained that whatever Khadse has replied was right.

Khadse, while speaking to media persons, maintained that his information was right and he had conveyed it to the union agriculture minister. Khadse said he had talked to TV channels after Congress state unit president Ashok Chavan criticised him, and dared Chavan to bring the privilege motion if he felt the union minister had provided false information on the floor of Parliament.