Major embarrasment for BJP.
Former Union Finance minister and veteran BJP leader Yashwant Sinha on Tuesday announced that he will continue his fight against the Devendra Fadnavis led government’s neglect towards farmers in Vidarbha region which records highest farmers’ suicides. Sinha along with 250 farmers were detained by the Akola police yesterday under section 68 of the Bombay Police Act but were released after five hours.
The 80 year old BJP leader, who is the member of party’s Margdarshak Mandal, along with hundreds of farmers are currently camping at the police headquarters ground. Sinha has declared that he will not leave the venue and continue protest unitl their demands are accepted. He also threatened to go on hunger strike.
Sinha, who has been vocal against demonetization and GST, is leading a protest by cotton and soyabean farmers to press for compensation for the crops damaged by pests. Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana leader Ravi Tupkar, who is accompanying Sinha, told DNA,’’ Farmers press for waiver of farms loans, payment of remunerative price to farm produce and stop disconnection of electricity supply.’’ He informed that farmers spontaneously resorted to rasta rook in Akola, Buldhana and Aurangabad districts and decided to step up agitation from Wednesday onwards.
Sinha led a scathing attack against the BJP for not keeping its promise made before the election to give 50% over and above the minimum support price to agriculture produce.
The Shetkari Jagar Manch, which had organised Kapus Soyabean Dhan Parishad, has strongly demanded that the government should purchase all farm produce at an MSP of Rs 50,000 per acre for cotton farmers affected by the pink bollworm disease. Further, the government should immediately address issues with regard to farm insurance and relief to drought-affected villages.
Interestingly, Sinha today received support from various quarters including the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, former union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, Maharashtra’s former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and Ashok Chavan, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana MP Raju Shetti and Bharatiya Republican Party leader Prakash Ambedkar.
Pawar, who spoke to Sinha on phone, attacked the government for not doing enough to provide much needed relief to farmers. He added that it was quite shameful that due to government’s inaction Sinha had to lead agitation. Meanwhile, state BJP has downplayed Sinha’s agitation saying it was desperate attempt by the latter to remain in the limelight.
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