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Modi Govt has no data on farmer suicides, none on employment and many other key matters

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7 years ago

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Modi Govt has no data on farmer suicides, none on employment and many other key matters

At a time when farmers’ distress and their agitation are at a new high and beginning to affect fortunes of political parties, it seems the Narendra Modi government has decided it would perhaps be safer to conceal facts and possibly get a benefit of doubt than reveal them and be damned.

This is not limited to farmers or agricultural sector only, but that provides the peg today.

Media reports today, (Thursday, Dec 20) said that the government told the Parliament it has no data on farmer suicides in the last three years. Union Agriculture Minister Radhamohan Singh told the Lok Sabha that the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), which collects such data, has not published figures of farmer suicides since 2016.

He was responding to a question by Trinamool Congress leader Dinesh Trivedi, who had sought details about the number of farmers who had committed suicide since 2016 and whether the government planned to rehabilitate their families.

“The NCRB under the Ministry of Home Affairs compiles and disseminates information on suicides… These reports on suicides are available up to 2015 on its website. The reports for the year 2016 onwards have not been published yet,” the minister said in a written reply that detailed other steps taken by the government in a country where 70 percent of the population relies on agriculture.

In 2015, the report reveals, over 8,000 farmers committed suicide. Maharashtra had the highest number (3,030), followed by Telangana (1,358) and Karnataka (1,197). Over 4,500 agricultural labourers committed suicide. That year, the report began publishing reasons for farm suicides. Most suicides were because of debts and bankruptcy.

Since then, reported News18, there have been several agitations by farmers. As farm distress increased, five farmers were killed in police firing during a protest in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur last year. But the data on suicides became unavailable, as pointed out also by journalist P Sainath, who participated in a farmers’ march and protest in Delhi last month.

In 2014, the crime records bureau reported 5,650 farmer suicides. That year, the bureau started separating data for farmers and agricultural labourers.

That was about farmers.

The year 2016 seems to be the ‘watershed year’ for Modi government. That was also the year when Prime Minister Narendra Modi got the ‘brainwave’ of demonetisation.

There is no government data on employment either – also from 2016. In March this year, Minister of State for Labour and Employment (independent charge) Santosh Kumar Gangwar told the Parliament that the Indian government has not conducted any nationwide survey to find out the actual data of employment in the country since 2016. In other words, the government does not have any clue about the employment/unemployment situation in the country since 2016.

The government not only finds it better not to keep data on key sectors, it also denies information on many. Let’s take the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) itself.

For all its claims of going after the rich and working tirelessly for the poor, the PMO refused to give information on NPAs. It rejected a RTI plea seeking to know details of bad loans submitted by then RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan, which finds mention in his response to Parliament’s Committee on Estimates.

Modi government and BJP never tire of boasting about going after the corrupt. But Modi would not like to share specifics.

In its response to a Central Information Commission (CIC) order asking for details of black money brought back from abroad within 15 days, the PMO refused to share the details.

The PMO has refused to share details of alleged corruption complaints received against Union ministers, saying providing such information “may be a subjective as well as a cumbersome exercise”

Earlier, the PMO declined to share action taken on a letter written by Congress leader Ajay Singh to PM Modi, which alleged large-scale corruption through e-tendering in Madhya Pradesh.

A report said that a whopping 2,227 RTIs rejected by the PMO in 2015-16 were in the “others” category — which does not find mention in law — said the Central Information Commission (CIC) report released in March 2017. Rejections under this head seems to have reached a new high in 2015-16, as per the data in the annual report of the CIC.

Also in 2017, PMO refused to  reply to RTI on Modi, Manmohan’s foreign trips, calling it ‘vague’. The PMO said the RTI query seeking information on expenses incurred in foreign trips by Narendra Modi and Manmohan Singh was “too vague and wide”.

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Vijay meets PM Modi for second time as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister during Delhi visit

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi during his latest visit to the capital, marking their second interaction since Vijay became Chief Minister.

Published

3 days ago

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June 11, 2026

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Actor vijay

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Thursday, marking their second meeting since Vijay assumed office last month.

The meeting took place during Vijay’s visit to the national capital, where he has also been scheduled to attend the Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog. Reports indicate that the interaction between the two leaders lasted around 20 minutes.

This follows Vijay’s first official meeting with the Prime Minister on May 27, shortly after taking charge as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. During that meeting, Vijay submitted a memorandum on several issues concerning the state, including the Mekedatu dam project, Tamil Nadu fishermen detained in Sri Lanka, and other matters related to the state’s interests.

Vijay’s latest Delhi visit has included meetings with several national leaders as he continues engagements with the Centre and leaders from different political parties. Reports said he also met senior Congress leaders during the trip.

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister took office on May 10 after his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), emerged as a key force in the 2026 Assembly elections and formed the government with support from alliance partners.

While details of the latest discussion between Vijay and the Prime Minister were not immediately disclosed, the meeting is being viewed as part of ongoing Centre-state consultations on issues concerning Tamil Nadu.

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Abhishek Banerjee gets three-week interim protection in Bengal signature forgery case

TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee has secured three weeks of interim protection from coercive action in the Bengal signature forgery case while the CID probe continues.

Published

4 days ago

on

June 11, 2026

By

Abhishek Banerjee

Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee has received interim protection from coercive action for three weeks from the Calcutta High Court in connection with the alleged signature forgery case being investigated by the West Bengal CID. The relief comes amid an ongoing legal challenge by the senior party leader against repeated summons issued by investigators.

The case relates to allegations that signatures of several Trinamool Congress MLAs were forged on a party resolution submitted to the West Bengal Assembly during a leadership dispute. The complaint led to the registration of a case and a CID investigation, with the agency seeking to question Banerjee regarding the disputed document.

Court grants temporary relief

During the hearing, the court granted Banerjee protection from arrest and other coercive measures for three weeks while the matter remains under judicial consideration. The interim order provides temporary relief as the legal proceedings continue and the CID investigation moves forward.

Banerjee had approached the High Court challenging the CID summons and seeking protection from any adverse action. He had also requested additional time to appear before investigators, citing legal proceedings and other commitments.

CID probe and summons

The West Bengal CID has issued multiple notices to Banerjee in the alleged forgery case and has maintained that his statement is important for the investigation. Investigators have also questioned several MLAs and carried out searches linked to the probe.

According to investigators, the inquiry focuses on allegations that signatures appearing on a party communication submitted to the Assembly did not match those of some legislators. The authenticity of the document and related records remains under examination.

The matter is expected to return to court after the expiry of the interim protection period, while the CID investigation continues.

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CID searches Mamata Banerjee’s residence-cum-office in signature forgery investigation

The West Bengal CID carried out a search at Mamata Banerjee’s Kalighat residence-cum-office in Kolkata as part of an ongoing probe into allegations that signatures of Trinamool Congress MLAs were forged on a document submitted to the Assembly Speaker.

Published

5 days ago

on

June 9, 2026

By

Mamata Banerjee

The West Bengal Crime Investigation Department (CID) on Tuesday carried out a search at the Kalighat residence-cum-office of Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee as part of its investigation into an alleged signature forgery case that has triggered a major political controversy in the state.

The probe relates to allegations that signatures of several Trinamool Congress MLAs were forged on a communication submitted to the Assembly Speaker regarding the selection of senior party leader Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as the Leader of Opposition.

According to the complaint, two party MLAs, Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha, informed the Speaker that no resolution had been adopted at a May 6 meeting as claimed in the official communication. They further alleged that signatures were added later and questioned the authenticity of several entries on the document.

The CID team, accompanied by police personnel, arrived at the premises located at 30B Harish Chatterjee Street in Kolkata. The location serves as both Mamata Banerjee’s residence and an important party office. Investigators reportedly conducted the search after seeking information connected to the collection of signatures under scrutiny.

The development comes amid an intensifying investigation that has already seen multiple notices issued to Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. Searches were also conducted at locations linked to him as investigators sought to verify details regarding the process through which the signatures were collected.

The signature forgery controversy has added to the political challenges facing the Trinamool Congress, with the issue exposing internal divisions within the party following its recent electoral setback in West Bengal.

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