Patna: Accusing Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of trying to hold back Bihar farmers from attending an assembly of farmers in Gujarat, senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi on Wednesday thanked the Narendra Modi government for honouring the state`s 29 progressive farmers.
"Barring once, Nitish Kumar has forgot to honour progressive farmers...But he made all efforts to stop Bihar farmers to take part in the `Vibrant Gujarat Global Agricultural summit, 2013," former deputy chief minister said in a statement.
He alleged that a list of 72 farmers chosen from the state for the Gujarat summit had been cancelled by the chief minister.
He further alleged that that the state Agriculture Minister had initially said they did not receive any invitation and later gave the alibi that since the state was facing flood and drought like situation it would not be possible to send farmers outside.
Ultimately, the minister had said a two-day programme would be organised at the Agriculture University in Bhagalpur on September 8 and 9 on alternative farm practice. The minister now should give a clarification whether the programme had taken place, the BJP leader said.
"Though the chief minister has said that how can anybody be stopped from going anywhere, the fact is that farmers were stopped from going to Gujarat as part of political rivalry," he said.
At the initiative of state BJP, 110 farmers of Bihar had gone to Ahmedabad to participate in the programme, he said and thanked the Gujarat government for their felicitation.
PTI
