File photo: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi meets farmers in Punjab
Surjit Singh, a 60-year-old farmer, today allegedly committed suicide in Fatehgarh Sahib district in Punjab. Mr Singh had briefed Rahul Gandhi on the distress caused to farmers by crop loss due to unseasonal rains, when the Congress leader visited Punjab last month.
The police said Surjit Singh had a loan of Rs seven lakh that he was unable to pay off due to mounting losses. The farmer's wheat crop was destroyed by unseasonal rain in March and April.
On April 28, Mr Singh, in a white turban, was seen explaining the troubles of Punjab's farmers to Rahul Gandhi, when the Congress vice-president had visited Sirhind on his day-long tour of markets in Punjab as part of visits to several states where farmers are in distress.
Mr Gandhi had assured Surjit Singh and other farmers he met in Punjab that he would do as much to help them as a leader of an opposition party could.
Though the Centre has announced higher compensation to the farmers who have suffered losses in unseasonal rain and hailstorms in March and April, Punjab farmers say they have received no such money so far.
In Punjab, crop in about seven lakh acres of land was affected.