Senior Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) leader Jayant Patil on Saturday criticised the Maharashtra government over rising farmer suicides and crimes against women, alleging that leaders of the ruling alliance had “earned a PhD in corruption”.
In a statement, Patil said that despite the Bharatiya Janata Party being in power in 17 states, Maharashtra ranked first in the country in both corruption and farmer suicides, while standing second in crimes against women.
Referring to the latest report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), he stated that 3,824 farmers died by suicide in Maharashtra during the past year, placing the state at the top nationally in terms of farmer suicides.
Patil alleged that the government had failed to address the issues faced by farmers and women, despite repeated assurances and schemes. He also accused the ruling alliance of neglecting public welfare while corruption continued to rise.
The remarks have intensified the political confrontation between the opposition and the ruling coalition in Maharashtra ahead of upcoming political developments in the state.
