Live reporting: Modi lambasts UPA govt for farmer suicides, beheading of jawans

Wardha(Maharashtra): BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi today lambasted the Congress-led UPA government for the spate in suicides by farmers in Maharashtra and the beheading of army jawans by Pakistani soldiers on the border. Addressing a Jana Chetna Rally at Swavalamban School ground here, Modi said, Lal Bahadur Shastri had given the slogan Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, but today due to Congress misrule, army jawans are being beheaded by a "small country like Pakistan", while the number of farmers who have committed suicides has left behind the number of jawans who died fighting on the front. In his speech largely targeted at farmers of Vidarbha belt, Modi said, we will give priority to agricultural produces in railway freight system. We will also lay stress on agro-processing once when we come to power. Modi advised farmers not to depend on cultivation alone. They should also do animal husbandry and grow trees on the boundaries of their fields. The BJP leader also promised to start linking of rivers to tackle water shortage across the country. Modi alleged that despite bank nationalization in the interest of poor, hardly 5 per cent of bank assets go to the farmers in the form of loans. Most of the farmers depend on moneylenders who charge exorbitant rates of interest. He pointed out that a small country like Bangladesh was dominating the garment export market across the world and its cotton growers are thriving, whereas Indian cotton growers face restrictions like frequent export curbs. Here are the live updates of the rally: 4:54 pm: Modi: We will give priority to agricultural produces in railway freight system. People get goods trains to transport stones, textiles, etc. but agricultural produces is presently on a low priority. We have to end this. Stress needs to be given on agro-processing, so that farmers can produce tomato ketchup from their tomato crops.4:49 pm: Modi: We do not want to do politics on the dead bodies of farmers. I want to give this suggestion to farmers: Do three-directional work. one, cultivation, two, animal husbandry, and three, grow trees on the boundaries of your field.4:48 pm: Modi: Like carbon credit to tackle global warming, in India we will start water credit to conserve water. 4:42 pm: Modi: They nationalized the banks and claim it was Indiraji who did this for helping the poor,. But statistics show that only 5 per cent of nationalized banks assets go to the farmers as loans. The farmers is tied up with paperwork. The farmers is burdened with heavy interests. I promise you, the day BJP comes to power, we will ensure that farmers will not have to go to moneylenders for taking loans at high rates of interest. I have been told, Wardha central cooperative bank did not distribute Rs 2200 cr to farmers. The sahukars are earning high rates of interest. There is need to make a different system for farmers. If we can give water to farmers, our farmers can grow gold out of soil. We will join the Ganga till Cauvery, and solve the water shortage problem. In neighbouring Madhya Pradesh, our CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan joined Narmada with Kshipra rivers to solve water problem.4:40 pm: Modi: I feel pain when a single child falls into a borewell, the entire national media telecasts this, but nobody asks about thousands of farmers who die. Had Vajpayeeji's government stayed, the farmers would not have committed suicide. It was his govt which came with crop insurance scheme to guarantee crops of farmers.4:36 pm: Modi: Today the Indian farmers are devastated. A small country like Bangladesh is dominating readymade garment exports across the world. And the cotton farmers are being benefitted. And here, the rulers have no vision. I speak of the five F formula, cotton to fibre, fibre to fabric, fabric to fashion, fashion to foreign. Today the young generation is afraid about going in for farming. If Indian farmers are devastated, this country of 125 crore people cannot be self-reliant in foodgrains.4:32 pm: Modi: More farmers have died than the number of jawans killed on the front because of the wrong policies of Congress. Shriman Sharadrao, you are the Agriculture Minister. Tell me, two years ago when there was good cotton cultivation, and farmers were getting good prices, Dr Manmohan Singhji, tell us why you suddenly banned cotton exports? For whom? I calculated for Gujarat. For ban on cotton export, Gujarat cotton growers faced Rs 60,000 cr loss. The govt bans cotton export, but allows mutton export. ( The crowd laughs). Because of huge meat exports, the livestock in north India is getting reduced steeply. The farmers who lost in cultivation could at least have produced milk from cows and buffaloes.4:30 pm: Modi: Let them first say how they will bring back the heads of jawans who were beheaded,. In war, the number of jawans killed at the hands of terrorists is more than the number of jawans killed in war. Kaun jimmewar hai? Modi asks loudly. The crowd shouts: Congress. You tell me, is any farmer safe and secure, can any famer trust any Central minister or the Central govt? the crowd shouts No. During every crisis, they announce packages. Do you get anything from such packages? Crowd shouts No. then you pack off this government.4:28 pm : Modi: Today the shehzadeh (prince) of Congress tried to mislead the people in order to get votes. He claimed he introduced one rank, one pension scheme, and it was implemented in 3 days. For 60 years, this party ruled the country, the jawans of the country, whether serving or retired, continuously appealed to the government to grant one rank, one pension. They did not do this for 60 years. Even today I say Congress' promises are hollow. Even today they are speaking lies.4:27 pm: Modi: Are the jawans and kisans secure and safe in Congress rule? (The crowd shouts No) Modi shows with his fingers, such a small nation like Pakistan, beheads our jawans. If jawans are not safe, how can we shout the slogan Jai Jawan today.4:24 pm: Modi: Lal Bahadur Shastri had roused this nation. Shastriji gave the slogan Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan. The farmers of India filled up our granaries. There was a time India used to import foodgrains from outside to fill up the bellies of its countrymen, but Shastriji roused the nation. Today, I speak with grief and pain that because of Congress misrule, the nation's agrarian economy was ruined. The Indian farmer grows foodgrains and guards the nation. 4:20 pm: Modi begins speech. Welcomes leaders from Mahayuti (grand alliance) present on dais. Crowd roars in approval as he welcomes them in Marathi.12:30 pm: Rally organizers say Modi will arrive by special plane at Yavatmal at 2 pm, visit Sevagram at 2:30 pm, and go to Wardha by helicopter at 3:20 pm. He will leave for Arni at 4:50 pm, meet local farmers at 5:30pm and begin his Chai Pe Charcha at 6 pm. Modi will stay overnight at Yavatmal.