Farmer dies by suicide,
leaves note urging
PM Modi to ensure MSP

A 42-year-old farmer from Junnar tehsil in Pune district allegedly died by suicide over not getting the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for his produce and left behind a note in which he purportedly extended birthday wishes to Narendra Modi and urged the PM ensure guaranteed price for onions and other crops. Following the incident, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) demanded justification from centre and state government. NCP spokesperson Mahesh Tapase also slammed the Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis-led government over the delay in cabinet expansion. Shinde and Fadnavis had taken oath as chief minister and deputy chief minister on June 30. The first cabinet expansion, however, took place 41 days later on August 9.
“Dashrath Laxman Kedare, a farmer from Junnar (in Pune district) died by suicide on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday (September 17). He blamed the Modi government for farmers in distress in the country. We condemn the Modi government. When an annadata (food provider) commits suicide, then the government has to give a justification for this,” Tapase said
The note purportedly written by the farmer also stated about “foul language” used by a cooperative society and threat by lenders, a police officer said on Monday. The villager was found dead in his farm pond at Wadgaon Anand village in Junnar tehsil on Saturday.
“The farmer had grown onions. But as the crop failed to fetch a satisfactory price, he stored the agricultural produce worth ₹1.5 lakh to 2 lakh. He anticipated that this time, he would get a better price but it did not happen,” said Pramod Kshirsagar, police inspector, Ale Phata police station.
He said the onions were damaged due to the rains and the deceased also incurred losses on soybean and tomato crops.
In his note recovered from his clothes, farmer purportedly wrote in Marathi, “Today, I am forced to commit suicide because of your inaction. Please give us our righteous guaranteed market price,” stated the note written in Marathi. After signing the suicide note, Kedari purportedly wished PM Modi on his birthday at the bottom of the note, the officer said.