Even as the farmer suicide issue continues to hog national attention, a minister in ML Khattar government in Haryana courted controversy after he termed the farmers who commit suicide as ‘cowards’. Agriculture Minister OP Dhankar said, “Suicide is a crime as per Indian laws.” He added the government could not support farmers who commit suicide as they were criminals under the law. Terming them as cowards, Dhankar said farmers who were committing suicide were running away from their responsibilities and leaving their families and children with liabilities. Dhankar, who earlier headed the Bharatiya Janata Party Kisan Cell, used to condemn the earlier UPA government for not doing much for farmers which was leading to increasing suicides.
