700 farmers died due to Modi’s mistake, govt should pay compensation: Rahul Gandhi

Days after the Modi government said in Parliament that it has no records of farmers who died during the one-year-long protest, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi hit out at the Union government for being ‘inhumane’.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Rahul Gandhi showed a list of 500 farmers who died during the protest.

“The Punjab government has paid Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of those who died,” said Rahul.

“Frankly speaking it was not Punjab government’s duty…They (farmers) did not die due to the mistake made by the Punjab government, but the Congress government provided jobs to the family members of 152 farmers on humanitarian grounds. We will provide the list if the Modi government wants. Just pay the compensation,” he added.

“PM himself has said that he has made a mistake, he has apologised to the nation. As a result of that mistake, 700 people have died. Now you are lying about their names. Why don’t you have the decency to give them what is their due?

“How can the government say they have no data on farmers’ death? The Punjab government and others have names, so why such lies?” questioned Rahul Gandhi.

Saying that Modi government only thinks about two-three cronies who are friends of Modi, Rahul Gandhi asserted that giving 20-30 lakh to the family of the farmers who died during the protest is not a big deal for the government of India.