Farmers, soldiers dying under Chowkidar's eye: Congress

The Congress on Saturday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that the farmers, soldiers, Dalits and minorities were dying while small businesses have been ruined under the watch of the "Chowkidar".

Addressing the media, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal said that as many as 6,351 farmers committed suicide in 2016 while protests by farmers increased from 628 in 2014 to 4,837 in 2016.

"As many as 52 per cent of farming families are indebted today with an average outstanding loan of Rs 1 lakh. From July to December 2018, the minimum support price (MSP) increase merely covered the input cost and was way below the Swaminathan Commission recommendations," he said. 

Sibal said that between 2010 and January 2019, 123 cases of cow-related violence were reported and Muslims constituted over 50 per cent of the victims and 78 per cent of those killed. 

He said that 98 per cent of these crimes took place after 2014 and in 14 states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party. 

In 2018, there were 218 hate crimes, of which 192 were against Dalits and minorities as per an Amnesty International report, he said. 

The former Union Minister also said that countless citizens suffered due to demonetisation and many lost their lives. 

"Thousands of small businesses had to close down, sowing of crops was delayed, demand collapsed which impacted farmers' income. The GDP took a hit of close to 2 per cent in the quarter of demonetisation while 15 lakh jobs were lost in the first four months after demonetisation," he said. 

Sibal said that the "hastily-implemented" GST made small businesses suffer as the multiple rates regime was one of the most complex in the world. 

He said that more than 90 soldiers and security personnel have been killed in various terrorist attacks between 2015 and 2019 in Kathua, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Pampore, Uri, Baramulla, Nagrota, Sunjuwan and Pulawama.

"More than 60 security personnel have been martyred since Pulwama attack while the Chowkidar was sleeping," he said. 

"Modi ji did chowkidari for Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi, Vijay Mallaya, Smriti Irani over her university degree and for himself over Rafale documents. He also turned chowkidar for those accused of violence including Amit Shah, D.G. Vanzara, N. K. Amin, Maya Kodnani and Swami Aseemanand and others," he said. 

He said that the survey on jobs created under Mudra Scheme was not released or the NSSO report on unemployment.

Also, the Labour Bureau's 6th employment-unemployment survey was suppressed and National Crimes Record Bureau's "Crime in India" report was not released for two consecutive years --2017 and 2018. - IANS