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.