Shocking. BJP minister in Narendra Modi’s cabinet, Sanjeev Baliyan, tells a farmer to go and commit suicide. Video courtesy- IBN Khabar Posted by Janta Ka Reporter on Tuesday, 29 March 2016

In what could be deemed as utter insensitivity towards farmers’ plight, a minister in Narendra Modi’s cabinet, Sanjeev Baliyan, has stoked a new controversy through his fresh remarks.

While attending a function organised by the Indian Agriculture Research Council in Rajasthan’s Tonk, when a farmer approached him to share his plight.

According to IBN Khabar report, the farmer Giriraj Jat told the minister that the electricity supply to his village, Arniya Kakda, had been cut off for over a fortnight causing large-scale destruction to his 200-odd fruits trees due to shortage of water.

Frustrated by the apathy of the electricity department, the farmer told Baliyan that he will be forced to commit suicide if the electricity department or the minister himself did not provide him with urgent help.

Giriraj repeated this several times prompting Baliyan to get up and say, ‘Go then do it. Now don’t talk about it. Doesn’t even listen to me.’

Rajasthan is ruled by the BJP.

The farmer was soon taken away from the venue.

He told reporters, “The electricity wire to our village has been cut off for 15 days. It has destroyed our produce. If we don;t submit our grievances to the minister, then who else we go to? Who’s bigger than the minister?”