New Delhi, Nov 6 (IANS): Citing the recent suicide of a former serviceman and rising farmer suicides, CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on Sunday questioned the "silence" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on issues affecting the common people.

"Generations grew up listening to the slogan 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan' but today what is the condition of jawans (soldiers) and kisans (farmers)? We have subedar Ram Kishan Grewal, committing suicide while in the last two years, farmer suicides have increased by an alarming 26 per cent," Yechury said in a video message on social networking sites.

"Our soldiers are not getting their due, farmers are not getting minimum support prices and getting debt ridden and eventually committing suicide. But our Prime Minister is silent," he said.

"Our prime minister likes to talk a lot but when it comes to issues which are affecting the common man, he is silent," said the Communist Party of India-Marxist leader.

"We and the country want to hear what the Prime Minister has to say on these issues, on rising prices, on agrarian distress, on unemployment," added Yechury.