"I was born in a house of farmers and I have worked with Chaudhary Charan Singh, Devi Lal and other pro-farmer leaders," he told rediff.com

He highlighted the plight of farmers in Bundelkhand, stating that they were dying due to lack of irrigation, quality seeds, and fodder for animals.

"While our farmers are not getting back the cost of production, foreign companies are being paid twice the amount that is being given to their Indian counterparts. I wonder how they (the government) can suddenly claim to be supporters of the farmers when they simply do nothing for them and their misery. We want their loans to be waived off," he said.

Earlier on Wednesday, MPs of the Left parties staged a protest at the main gate of Parliament House demanding the eradication of disparities between wheat and rice farmers.

Mulayam Singh also told rediff.com that he had a narrow escape on Tuesday when he and some of his party leaders were travelling from Jantar Mantar to the Parliament police station.

He claimed that his car came dangerously close to tipping over on two occasions. "By the grace of God, I survived, otherwise you would have been paying tributes to me," he said.