labour Minister Sushant Singh, who had claimed that BJP activists are involved in instigating farmers to torch their crops, on Wednesday claimed that that a saffron party activist, Nirbhaya Gupta, provoked Bargarh farmer Brunda Sahu to commit suicide.
Singh speaking to reporters here said Gupta is now absconding after he (Minister) revealed his alleged role as an abettor in the burning of pest hit paddy crops. He instigated Sahu to commit suicide by consuming poison in his field in the presence of a crowd of people who simply resorted to videographing the whole incident instead of preventing Sahu from taking the extreme step.
The Minister also reiterated that an FIR would be filed by the farmers there against the absconding Gupta and others involved in the incident. On the other hand BJP refuted the labour Minister’s allegations.
BJP State vice-president Sameer Mohanty said, "We support and stand by the youth who has used Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s 3Ts to highlight such a case. Had the district or State administration taken prompt cognisance then after the video and bytes were highlighted, such an unfortunate incident would not have occurred."