Smriti Irani was addressing a rally in Indapur, Maharashtra (File)

Union Minister Smriti Irani on Monday attacked the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party alliance, saying protesting farmers were fired upon by the police near Pune during their regime.

The opposition parties have been targeting the Devendra Fadnavis government, claiming 16,000 farmers have committed suicide.

Addressing a rally in Indapur, Ms Irani said, "I remember farmers were fired at and killed near Pune by the Congress-led (Maharashtra) government. Now they are questioning Fadnavis government which has given loan waivers."

Four farmers were killed in August, 2011 in police firing in Pune's Maval taluka while protesting against a dam project. The Congress-NCP was in power in Maharashtra at the time.

Ms Irani said regular power supply and good educational institutions were important factors in employment generation. She praised the Fadnavis government for providing both.

She said the opposition parties were objecting to the BJP highlighting the scrapping of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir during the poll campaign, but people of Maharashtra were patriotic and would understand and support the move.