NEW DELHI: The Congress on Sunday accused the BJP government of forcing people into “suicidal hopelessness”, citing an NCRB report that said a total of 9.52 lakh people have committed suicides since 2014.
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said there was an increase of 55 per cent in the number of students committing suicide, 58 per cent increase among the unemployed, and 139.37 per cent increase among farmers, labourers and daily wagers, as per the report.
“During the last seven years between 2014 and 2020, the failed and insensitive policies of the Modi government pushed 9,58,275 Indians into ending their lives by committing suicide,” Surjewala said through a statement.
“Today in an attempt to mask its failed anti-people policies the government is nakedly resorting to perpetuating divisiveness, negativity, hopelessness amongst the people,” he said.
Surjewala said that despite the damning figures, the BJP “continues to lust after power”.
He said the data presented in the report is “frightening and heart-rending”.
The report titled ‘Suicides and Accidental Deaths in India’ was released last month by the National Crime Records Bureau which comes under the Union Home Ministry.
Surjewala said the report represented a “saga of unending hopelessness” for people from all walks of life, “as opportunities for the aspiring have been converted into cesspools of suicidal depression”.
“Faced with hopelessness and gloom of unemployment, inflation, rising prices of crops and overall uncertainty the people of the country are embracing death over life by choosing to commit suicide,” he said.
The Congress leader said housewives are bearing the brunt of consistent inflation that’s causing a rise in prices of most household goods.
He said high prices and lack of employment opportunities have been the main reasons behind domestic discord leading to housewives preferring suicide.
“The NCRB data displays the ‘Yamlok Sidhar’ picture of the government rather than that of ‘Lok Sudhar’,” he said.
Surjewala attributed the suicide of 78,303 farmers — 35,122 of whom were farm labourers — recorded in last seven years to the “crony-capitalist and anti farmer policies” of the Modi government.
He said these were the “anti-farmer” policies of the government that drove the 19 per cent rise in farmer suicides from 2019 to 2020.
Surjewala said country’s future was in dark and cited suicide of 69,407 students between 2014 and 2020 to support the claim.
