BJP MP says ‘farmers gamble, drink 9 months’; apologises later

Bhopal: Rewa BJP MP Janardan Mishra apologised on Wednesday after facing widespread criticism for his remarks that farmers work hard for only three months a year and spend the remaining nine months playing cards and consuming tobacco and alcohol. The controversy prompted the Congress to demand his resignation, expulsion from the BJP and police action against him, the Times of India reported.

In a statement, Mishra said he had made the remarks inadvertently during a Govardhan Puja event in Mauganj, where he interacted with farmers and discussed their concerns. He maintained that he had no intention of insulting the farming community and pointed out that he himself came from a farming family and understood the difficulties faced by cultivators.

The MP also claimed that his comments had been distorted, acknowledged that his words had hurt farmers, and offered an apology.

Mishra had sparked outrage on Monday with his generalisation about farmers' work habits and leisure activities. He later sought to explain that his comments were intended to encourage farmers to take up dairy production and cattle rearing as additional sources of income.

The Congress intensified its campaign against the MP on Wednesday. Madhya Pradesh Kisan Congress president Dharmendra Singh Chouhan demanded that an FIR be registered against Mishra and called for his resignation from the Lok Sabha and removal from the BJP.

Chouhan said protests, including the burning of effigies, were taking place across Madhya Pradesh. He warned that the party would launch a statewide agitation and lay siege to the chief minister's residence if action was not taken.