1 week Ago
Pune: Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar's statement ruling out a farm loan waiver has sparked angry reactions with farmers' organisations that have threatened a statewide agitation. Last week, Ajit Pawar, who also holds the finance portfolio, told farmers to pay the instalments on crop loans as there won't be a farm loan waiver in the near future. Following his statement, Prahar, an organisation led by MLA Bachchu Kadu, met and decided on a statewide agitation from April 11.
Kadu said, "The Mahayuti govt has forgotten the promises it made during its election campaign. We are going to remind them of all those promises, especially the farm loan waiver. We will start the agitation on Jyotiba Phule's birth anniversary from April 11 where our party's members will hold a dharna outside MLAs' residences across the state.
" Backing Ajit Pawar's statement, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said that it is govt's official stand. Farmers' leader and former MP Raju Shetti too called it a betrayal. Shetti, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatna founder, said, "The Mahayuti govt promised to waive farm loans and got votes.
Now, it has retracted its promise. While farmers are dying every day, this govt is only playing with their sentiments." He too warned of an aggressive agitation.
Shetti said, "Govt is insulting farmers by not waiving their loans nor giving the assured hike in the minimum support price. We are going to remind them about their promises through an agitation." Maratha activist Manoj Jarange also came down heavily on the state govt.
During the statewide agitation for the Maratha quota, Jarange appealed to community members to stop elected representatives from entering any village. It had a big impact. Now, Jarange has made a similar appeal to farmers to ban entry to MLAs in their villages to protest against the state govt's decision to not grant a farm loan waiver.
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