'Govt has no data on farmers died protesting farm laws', says Narendra Singh Tomar
More than 700 farmers have died, opposition and farmer leaders have said, during the year-long protests at Delhi borders against the contentious laws that were cancelled on Monday in parliament in one of the fastest repeals the country has recently seen.
New Delhi: Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has informed the Lok Sabha that government has no record of the death of the farmers who were protesting the three controversial farm laws.
The opposition has insisted on compensation for farmers who died during the protest. In a written reply to the House, Mr. Tomar said that ministry of agriculture has no record in the matter and hence the question does not arise.
More than 700 farmers have died, opposition and farmer leaders have said, during the year-long protests at Delhi borders against the contentious laws that were cancelled on Monday in parliament in one of the fastest repeals the country has recently seen.
The government has no record of the death of the families, so giving compensation to the farmers does not arise, the minister said.
This was just ten days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered an "apology to the nation", making the big repeal announcement. "While apologising to the nation, I want to say with a sincere and pure heart that maybe something was lacking in our tapasya (dedication) that we could not explain the truth to some of our farmer brothers," he said last month. PM Modi also requested the demonstrators to return to their homes.
