'Dark future': Cong blames Modi govt for 9.5 lakh suicides

New Delhi, Nov 7 (IANS) The Congress on Sunday blamed the Narendra Modi-led Central government for the death of 9.5 lakh people in 7 years who allegedly committed suicide, saying it came to power with the promise of 'Acche Din' but did nothing to achieve this.

The party cited recent the National Crime Record Bureau Report on "Suicides & Accidental Deaths in India", which says 9,58,275 Indians ended their lives by committing suicide between 2014-2020.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, in a statement, said: "The report, with its figures regarding suicide, underlines the unprecedented tragedy that is ruining India. Hapless citizens, being ground under extreme apathy and insensivity of the government, are losing the last hope and taking their own lives. Be it 'annadata' (farmers), toiling labourers, daily wagers, housewives or unemployed educated youth, it is a saga of unending hopelessness all across. Opportunities for the aspiring have been converted into cesspools of suicidal depression."

The Congress also alleged that in an attempt to mask its "anti-people" policies, the government is "nakedly resorting to perpetuating divisiveness, negativity, hopelessness amongst the people".

It said that there was an increase of 55 per cent in the number of students committing suicide, 58 per cent among the unemployed and a whopping 139.37 per cent rise increase amongst farmers, labourers and daily wagers. Overall the number of suicides across categories increased by 16.24 per cent.

Surjewala alleged that farmers being forced into committing suicide and in the past 7 years due to the "crony capitalist friendly and anti-farmer" policies of the Modi government, 78,303 farmers committed suicide of which 35,122 were farm labourers.

"There was an increase of 19 per cent in the number of suicides from the year 2019 to 2020. The government literally forced the farmers into committing suicide," he claimed, citing the rising input costs, absence of MSP, and the crop insurance scheme "which benefited the insurers more", and finally the three "black" farm laws as the main reasons.

"Even as students and unemployed are forced into committing suicide, India's future is nothing but dark. During the Modi government's tenure from 2014 to 2020, 69,407 students were forced to end their lives," he added.