The Congress president added: “I want to ask them what they did for farmers when they were in power. There is no point shedding crocodile tears now.”

Earlier, Singh, who had accused the BJP in Parliament last week of ignoring farmers, again attacked it for the same. “I would like to remind that farmers’ interests were ignored during the tenure of the BJP-led government, which ruled the country for six years before we came to power in 2004,” he said.

“You should judge our commitment to farmers after comparing it with the BJP government’s, which never worked for farmers’ interests, instead working for suppressing their income.”

Singh also promised that the UPA government would implement the entire farmers’ loan waiver package by June this year. “I don’t consider it (the waiver) a burden on the government but a duty towards farmers. In bad times, we even waive off debts of big industrialists,” the Prime Minister said.

However, given the election year, Sonia expressed some concerns over price rise, saying the government was trying to tackle it effectively. However, she attributed inflation to the rise of petroleum and food prices across international markets.

She reminded that the government has still kept kerosene prices at the same level and not increased food prices at fair price shops.

In an apparent reference to the anti-north Indian violence in Maharashtra, Sonia said: “There should be no leniency towards those stoking division and discrimination on the lines of region and religion.”