Bhubaneswar: BJD leader and Binjharpur MLA Pramila Mallick, whose insensitive remark on providing Amar ladoos (sweet of immortality) to the farmers had triggered a statewide uproar, is back at the centre stage again on the same issue.
“Whenever one dies, they (the Opposition) dub it as farmer suicide without knowing the exact cause of the death”, the BJD women’s’ wing chief told mediapersons while staging a sit-in dharna near Raj Bhawan here in protest against LPG subsidy policy of the Centre on Wednesday.
“Instead of branding all deaths as farmer suicides, the BJP and Congress should ask the Centre and do something for Odisha”, Mallick said.
Reacting to Mallick’s statement, senior Congress leader Naba Das said: “Being a senior leader of the ruling party and former minister, her statement on farmer suicide is grossly unfortunate and disrespectful to democracy. I am surprised how the party supremo and chief minister Naveen Patnaik along with other senior BJD leaders are bearing with such audacious and high-handed statement. It shows that the state government is least bothered about the farmers community”, Das rued.
Echoing the same concern, BJP MLA Pradeep Purohit said; “Pramila Mallick, who was once a minister in the Naveen Patnaik government, is giving such careless statements on farmer deaths which is extremely unfortunate. Instead of giving such crude remarks, she should show utmost sympathy towards the farmers and try to understand their plight and suffering. May good sense prevail on her.”
It may be recalled here that Mallick had hit the headlines for her ‘Amar Ladoo' remark in the context of farmers committing suicide due to crop loss and debt burden in Odisha, inviting severe criticism from the Opposition.
Concerned over the statewide reaction against her statement, chief minister Naveen Patnaik had reprimanded her with a warning to refrain from making such irresponsible statements on sensitive issues like farmer suicide.