Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut issued a warning to BJP that Sena will quit the government if it fails to waive farm loans.
Raut added that Sena is ready for mid-term polls if its alliance partner doesn’t resolve farmers’ grievances. According to him, it won’t take time for Sena to withdraw support to the government. Sena had earlier boycotted the cabinet meeting called by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and alleged that it was not taken into confidence over the farm loan waiver issue by the government.
He said, “Sena has always supported the cause of farmers and won’t relent until justice is done to them. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is indulging in divisive politics by suppressing farmers’ agitation. He has created a rift between Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana leader Raju Shetti and Minister of state for agriculture Sadabhau Khot. Attempts are being made by the government to politicise the issue and derive mileage out of it.”
Raut said it was the Sena that had been for the last 15 years demanding a complete loan-waiver for farmers and clear their 7/12 land extracts and the BJP has never been in the picture. The 7/12 land extracts are proof of agriculture land title ownership and they also mention cultivation details.
“If you are not ready to hold talks with us, nor with (Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatna MP) Raju Shetti, then who will you talk to? The CM says he will only talk to farmers, but who will tell him who is a real farmer? Is he himself a farmer to hold talks with the cultivators?” asked Raut
On the other hand, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has gone into a damage control mode by appointing a high-level committee of ministers to oversee the problems faced by farmers in the state. The committee has been formed under the leadership of Revenue minister Chandrakant Patil. It will hold a dialogue with various farmers outfit in the state and suggest recommendations to address their woes. They will also forward a report to the chief minister. Agricultural minister Pandurang Fundkar, Minister for co-operation Subhash Deshmukh, state finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, water resources minister Girish Mahajan, state transport minister Divakar Raote are included in this committee.
“The government is willing to talk to farmer leaders and every issue can be resolved through dialogue. We will take steps to financial assistance to debt ridden farmers. However government won’t talk to those leaders who are using this issue to derive political mileage,” said Fadnavis.
