Modi govt has snatched farmers' sleep: Mamata

Kolkata: Assuring that the interests of the farming community would be given priority if the government at the centre changes, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday, alleged that the present Modi government had 'snatched' the sleep of the farmers and claimed that the latter were being cheated before the general elections.

Banerjee, also the Trinamool Congress Chief, has been on a dharna since Sunday night, over the CBI's attempt to question Kolkata Police Commissioner in connection with the chit fund scam.

Addressing a state conference of farmers at Netaji Indoor Stadium, from the dharna site in front of Metro Cinema in the heart of the city via phone, Banerjee claimed that nearly 12,000 farmers have committed suicide in the country.

"Farmers are being cheated before the elections and the Modi government has snatched the farmers' sleep," she alleged, referring to the sops announced in the interim budget placed by the NDA government in Parliament.

Her dharna site is the same venue where she held a 26-day hunger strike in 2006, demanding the return of farmlands to peasants at Singur, where the Tata Motors' Nano car plant was to come up. The Singur movement catapulted her to power in 2011 defeating the Left Front government.

The Tatas had abandoned the project and went to Sanand in Gujarat on the invitation of the then Chief Minister of the State Narendra Modi.

Addressing the farmers gathering, Banerjee said owing to demonetisation, farmers are in deep distress with many having committed suicide or lost their livelihood.

"Our government is the only one in the country which does not acquire farmland and have returned acquired land in Singur," Banerjee said.

Highlighting several schemes and benefits that her government has given to farmers since coming to power in 2011, Banerjee said Rs 1,200 crore has been spent by her government for such schemes.

The chief minister further said that over one crore people were benefited from various social security programmes of the state government.

"Modi government is saying that by 2022, farmers' income will be doubled, but in West Bengal, we have already tripled their income," she maintained.