Rewa (Madhya Pradesh): BJP MP Janardan Mishra has sparked a controversy with his purported statement that today's farmers work for only three months and spend the remaining nine months playing cards and consuming gutka and liquor.
The MP allegedly made the comments at a programme organised on Monday on the occasion of Govardhan Puja in Mauganj district which falls under his Rewa constituency.
Congress leaders shared a video of his speech, accusing him of insulting farmers and demanding a public apology.
Farmers today are no longer like those in the past, and have become accustomed to a comfortable lifestyle, Mishra was purportedly heard saying in the video.
He then asked what they do during the remaining nine months if they work for only three months in a year.
When someone near the stage replied that they play cards, the BJP MP purportedly said, "Today's farmer works for three months, while the remaining nine months are spent playing cards, consuming 'Rajshree' (a brand of gutka), bottle (liquor), smoking cannabis and chanting 'Jai Bhole'."
All India Congress Committee secretary Kunal Chaudhary said in a post on X that the BJP, which had promised to double farmers' income, now had an MP who made such statements.
Chaudhary challenged Mishra to work in fields for a day before lecturing them, and demanded that he publicly apologise.
"Insulting the food provider is an insult to the country," he said.
State Congress spokesperson Rahul Raj said the farmers feed the households of even those who make such remarks.
"A farmer does not work for just three months but lives throughout the year with concerns about fields, weather, debt, fertiliser, seeds and crops. Visit a farm and see for yourself. Farmers are not busy playing cards, smoking cannabis or drinking liquor; they strengthen the foundation of the country's economy through their hard work," Raj said.
The remarks exposed the BJP's anti-farmer mindset, he claimed.
(This story has not been edited by Mathrubhumi and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Published: 10 Nov 2026, 07:06 pm IST
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