Bhubaneswar, Dec. 2: Biju Janata Dal MLA and its women wing chief Pramila Mallick today got embroiled in a controversy by accusing the Opposition of dubbing each death as a case of farmer suicide without trying to know the cause behind the incidents.

"Some people die of disease and some because of other reasons. Instead of branding all deaths as farmer suicides, the BJP and the Congress should do something constructive such as urging the Centre to do something good for the state," said Mallick while taking part in a dharna against the Centre's LPG subsidy policy.

Mallick had received flak from the Opposition parties last month for saying that they should distribute " amar ladoos" (sweets of immortality) to farmers. Subsequently, Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik had asked her not to make such statements. However, Mallick today made it clear that she was not going to apologise for her remarks.

The Congress and the BJP took exception to her remarks today. "Her statement on farmer suicides is unfortunate. It shows that the government is least bothered about the farmers' community," said Congress leader Naba Kishore Das.

BJP leader Pradeep Purohit said: "Instead of making such insensitive remark, she should show sympathy towards the farmers and try to understand their plight." Local BJP and Congress leaders made uncharitable remarks about Mallick, who has had to step down from the office in February 2011 over supply of inferior quality of dal for the midday meal scheme.

BJD spokesperson Pratap Jena said Mallick had never said anything against the farmers. Her statements had been misinterpreted.

Initiating a debate on the issue in the Odisha Assembly, Opposition leader Narasingha Mishra said: "The collectors' report on farmer suicide cases is baseless. It should call an all-party meet on the issue."

Mishra demanded that to ascertain the nature of deaths, the government should order an inquiry by a House committee or a judicial probe. Mishra said he had formed a panel of seven lawyers to study the farmer suicides cases. "It made field visits and found that all of them had committed suicide due to loan burden and crop failure," he said.

He lambasted the Odisha government for its failure to keep its commitment to provide free electricity to farmers and to irrigate 35 per cent of land in each block. "You betrayed the farmers. Is this your pro-farmer policy?" asked Mishra.

"The family members of the deceased should be given a compensation of Rs 20 lakh and Rs 20,000 per acre for lost crops," he said.

Purohit, too, demanded a judicial probe into the deaths.

Taking part in the debate, agriculture minister Pradeep Maharathy and co-operation minister Damodar Rout asserted that the farmers would debar from taking such step.

Maharathy said: "The government has so far received reports of 122 deaths of farmers. According to the report of the collectors and district superintendents of police, not a single death was caused by loan burden or crop loss. These reports will be handed over to the home department shortly."