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Janata Dal United (JD-U) on Monday reacted sharply over Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma’s comment that inflation is beneficial for farmers. Interacting with reporters here, JD-U leader Shivanand Tiwari said, “Farmers are not just producers, they are also consumers. If they sell their produce then they also purchase things from the market. So the prices are not only rising for the products they produce, it is also rising for the products they need to buy. Hence, in that vicious circle, the brunt of inflation again falls on the farmers." Echoing similar sentiments, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Sudhindra Bhadoria said that even Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh had acknowledged the menace of price rise, and added that Verma should have refrained from making such comment, especially on the occasion of Eid. Talking to media, Bhadoria said, “Even the Prime Minister has acknowledged in his speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort that this (inflation) is a worrying factor. Today is a special day and on this occasion having appreciated inflation and price rise is something which will not go down well with the people of this country.” Verma had earlier on Sunday said that he was happy with the rising prices of these food items, as it will benefit farmers. "Dal, atta, vegetables have all become expensive. The more the prices rise the better it is. I am very happy with inflation," he told mediapersons on the sidelines of a function in Barabanki, near Lucknow.

Verma’s comments elicit reactions from JD-U, BSP