New Delhi/Bhopal: A row has erupted over the overwhelming presence of BJP leaders and sympathisers in teams of farmers being sent by the Madhya Pradesh government to tour some European countries to learn modern farming.
The Opposition Congress has cried foul over alleged misuse of government money for political gains, describing the tour as a “vacation of ruling party leaders at the cost of state exchequer”.
“It is shocking that the state government is sponsoring foreign tour of BJP leaders in the name of farmers,” Congress spokesman Pankaj Chaturvedy said.
“The four teams mostly comprise either BJP MLAs, office-bearers or their representatives. It should be meant for those who are facing agrarian crisis but the state government has reduced it to agri-tourism,” a state Congress leader said.
The ruling BJP, however, saw nothing wrong in it. State BJP president Nand Kumar Singh Chouhan defended the state government’s move to include BJP leaders in the farmers’ team, saying “70 per cent of farmers in MP are supporters of BJP” and there is nothing unusual about BJP leaders’ presence in the teams.
Party leaders said that the candidates were selected by a committee led by deputy directors at districts from within pool the of Kisan Mitra and farmers’ representatives.
The state government has selected 17 BJP leaders who included MLAs, former MLAs and youth wing leaders of the party in the four teams of far-mer teams which were sc-heduled to visit Australia, Spain, France and Brazil.
In order to reduce financial burden on the touring farmers, the MP government offers subsidy ranging from 50 to 90 per cent on tour and travel expenses.
