Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday arrived in Chandigarh and met the family members of a debt-ridden farmer who had interacted with him earlier and later committed suicide by consuming some poisonous substance.
The Congress vice president reached Chandigarh this morning from where he proceeded to Fatehgarh Sahib to meet the family of the deceased farmer.
The Congress vice president’s official Twitter handle posted a picture confirming the development.
Several Punjab Congress leaders are also accompanying Rahul Gandhi during his Chandigarh visit.
Surjit Singh, a farmer from Dadu Majra village in Fatehgarh Sahib district, was among those who met Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi at the Sirhind grain mandi during the latter’s whirlwind tour of Punjab mandis on April 28.
During his interaction with farmers, Singh had asked Rahul to raise the farmers’ issue in the Lok Sabha. On June 11, burdened by mounting debts and two failed crops, Singh reportedly committed suicide.
According to reports, Singh, who was in his sixties, consumed sulphas tablets. Singh owned six acres of land, and had taken another 19 acres on lease. But with his crop failing for two successive seasons, he was unable to pay back the lease amount. His own land was mortgaged, and his total debt was about Rs. 13 lakh.
During his meeting with Rahul in April, Singh had told him that the condition of farmers was “deteriorating” in Punjab. Stating that the state government was not giving enough compensation to farmers and their stocks were not being purchased, he asked Rahul to raise these issues in Parliament.
