Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis on Wednesday hit out at the Opposition for creating a ruckus and leaving the assembly in the name of farmers.
“The Opposition has to do only politics in the name of farmers, they don’t want to help farmers and all these are crocodile tears,” Fadanvis said.
“CM has already announced the help for onion farmers. We gave over Rs 7000 crores of help to the farmers and we are still doing panchanama to help the farmers affected by the unseasonal rains but the opposition doesn’t want to help farmers but just wants to create a ruckus,” he added.
Any amount of protest by the opposition can’t divert us from helping the farmers in every way possible, Fadanvis added.
Earlier in the day, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar urged the state government to come forward to support and compensate the farmers.
Addressing the media, Pawar said, “Maharashtra’s farmers have suffered a lot in the past three days due to unseasonal rains. We’ll raise the issue of compensation to farmers in Assembly today. Today, the state government (Shinde-led government) must come forward to support and compensate the farmers.
“We have given adjournment notice in the Assembly on the issue of compensation to the farmers, the Maharashtra LoP further said.
“There was a forecast of rain for these three days everywhere. Now, the government should focus on ensuring the materialisation of the farm insurance claims,” he added.
On February 28, the Maharashtra Legislative Council was adjourned after opposition legislators created a ruckus on the issue of farmers demanding an appropriate price for onions as prices dipped.
The Opposition leader of the Legislative Council, Ambadas Danve said that they were demanding a discussion on the farmer’s issue with the government but the government did not do so, hence the council was adjourned.
Meanwhile, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLAs reached Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha carrying onions on their head and wearing onion garlands demanding appropriate prices for onions.
The four-week Budget session of the assembly”>Maharashtra Assembly started on February 27 and will continue till March 26. The budget will be presented on March 9.
