New Delhi: Agriculture Minister of India Narendra Singh Tomar on Friday said that no farmer died to police action during the year-long agrarian protests.
“The subject of compensation, etc to the families of the deceased farmers in the farmers’ movement is with the concerned state governments. No farmer died as a result of police action during the farmers’ agitation,” Tomar said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha while responding to a joint question by Congress leader Dhiraj Prasad Sahu and AAP leader Sanjay Singh.
Farmers were protesting against three contentious farm laws introduced by the GoI, which have now been scrapped.
The year-long protest at the Delhi borders was suspended by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Thursday after the GoI accepted their key pending demands, including withdrawal of police cases against the protesters and on Minimum Support Price.
Last week, the Government of India informed the Parliament that it has “no record” of the deaths of the farmers who died during the year-long protests demanding repeal of the three contentious farm laws and hence there was no question of providing financial assistance to anyone.
In a reply to the Opposition’s query on whether the Government of India will grant financial assistance to the families of the farmers who lost their lives during the year-long protest, Tomar had told the Parliament- Lok Sabha, “(The) Ministry of Agriculture has no record in the matter, and hence the question (of aid) does not arise.”
Apart from the main demand of repeal of the three contentious laws, withdrawal of the cases against the farmers during the time of the agitation and compensation was also demanded.
More than 700 farmers have died, reports said quoting opposition parties, during the year-long protests at Delhi borders.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi had announced that a committee would be formed to take decisions on the subjects of promoting zero budgeting-based agriculture, changing crop patterns as per the changing needs of the country, and making MSP more effective and transparent.
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