Rahul raises farmers’ issue in LS, demands compensation

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday demanded in the Lok Sabha that the next of kin of farmers who lost their lives during the agitation against farm laws be given compensation as promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Making a Zero Hour mention, Gandhi also slammed the Modi government for its inability to maintain data on the death of farmers during the year-long agitation and tabled in the House a list of farmers from Punjab and Haryana who died during the stir.

He claimed 700 farmers died during the agitation.

Gandhi said the Agriculture Minister, in response to a question on November 30, had told the Lok Sabha that it did not have any data on the death of farmers during the agitation.

He said the Punjab government has given Rs five lakh compensation to 400 next of kin of farmers who lost their lives, while 152 have been given government jobs.

Gandhi said he also had a list of 70 farmers from Haryana who had lost their lives during the farmers’ agitation against the three farm laws.

Congress members demanded a statement from the government on the issue and staged a walkout along with NCP and DMK members raising slogans against the government.