'Don't go to their funerals': Sena MLA makes shocking remark on farmers' suicide, later clarifies

NEW DELHI: Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad on Friday expressed regret over his remarks, days after asking people not to attend the funerals of farmers who die by suicide. He had urged crop growers to support their families and not abandon them.Gaikwad claimed that he had not, in fact, mentioned farmers in his remarks and that he himself came from a farmer's family."My statement was about those who take drugs, ruin their households, and commit suicide....It was misinterpreted and created a controversy. Still, if farmers across Maharashtra and my senior leaders have been hurt, I humbly express my regret," he said.This comes as Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde is reportedly upset over Gaikwad's remarks and has proposed his suspension from the party.When asked about Shinde's decision, Gaikwad said, "No comments."Earlier on Tuesday, Gaikwad had said that people should not attend the funerals of farmers who die by suicide.If nobody attended these funerals and animals fed on the deceased person's body, it might make others contemplating suicide realise the consequences and stop them from taking the extreme step, the MLA of the Eknath Shinde-led party had said.“If you (farmers) have a problem, write to the government, your MLA or your MP. Otherwise, let me know about your difficulties, and everyone will help you. But by taking your own life and leaving your children helpless, you are, in a way, punishing them,” he said.“You take the seven sacred rounds with your wife, vow to stand by her for seven lifetimes and promise to look after your children. Yet, if you end your life halfway through, what happens to those promises?” he asked.The Shiv Sena legislator said he had always maintained in his speeches that if someone died by suicide, no one should attend that person's funeral.“Only when people realise that their bodies may be eaten by animals and understand what happens to their remains will they stop committing suicide,” Gaikwad said.This is not the first time when Gaikwad has been surrounded with controversies. In 2024, he flaunted a tiger tooth worn around his neck and claimed that he had hunted the big cat in 1987. Last year, Gaikwad had slapped a canteen staff member allegedly for offering stale food at the MLA hostel in Mumbai.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.