In an apparent attempt to corner the Devendra Fadnavis government, the Shiv Sena on Wednesday abstained from the state cabinet meeting, seeking a complete loan waiver for farmers in the state. However, the Sena is expected to firm up its policy on the issue only after its leader, Uddhav Thackeray, returns from abroad later this week.
Farmers in Maharashtra have been on strike since June 1 to demand a loan waiver and a fair and remunerative price for their produce. Fadnavis said they would write off loans for deserving farmers by October 31, in what would be the largest loan waiver package for the agriculture sector in the state.
The Opposition Congress and NCP and the ruling coalition partner Swabhimaani Shetkari Sanghatana were already trying to corner the BJP on the issue and now another of the government's key allies, Shiv Sena, has joined forces with them.
On Wednesday, Sena ministers met Fadnavis before the cabinet meeting and sought a complete loan waiver for farmers. They also demanded that the party be consulted on any decision that the government takes on farmers' issues.
"We made it clear that the Shiv Sena is supporting the agitation. The Shiv Sena is not scared of threats. We are with the farmers and will never desert them," said senior Shiv Sena leader and Industries Minister Subhash Desai.
He demanded that Thackeray be consulted by the state government while finalising the modalities of the package for farmers.
Desai pointed to how the BJP had taken the views of the Shiv Sena into consideration and resolved differences over the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax. "The loan waiver should be comprehensive and acceptable, there should be no hidden sub-texts," he demanded.
Transport minister Diwakar Raote said the Shiv Sena had been demanding a complete loan waiver (instead of writing off loans of only marginal and small farmers) for almost a year, much before the current agitation was launched. "When we are sharing power, our opinions must be considered," he added.
Soon after TV reports said that Sena ministers boycotted the Cabinet meeting. senior ministers Sudhir Mungantiwar, Chandrakant Patil and Pankaja Munde had to address a press conference. Mungantiwar said that Sena ministers have not boycotted the meeting but had taken permission from Chief Minister Fadnavis to abstain from it. Mungantiwar claimed that Sena would remain with the government for five years since the chief minister has already announced a loan waiver.
Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamna, which has Thackeray as the editor and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut as executive editor, launched an attack on the BJP over farmers' strike.
Reacting to Fadnavis' statement that they would hold discussions only with farmers, an editorial in the newspaper on Wednesday said only "true farmers" in the cabinet should conduct these talks.
"Does your cabinet have even a single farmer? Do not talk about farmers' welfare unnecessarily," it added
When asked why Sena ministers were putting the state government at inconvenience, Mumngantiwar replied, "Shiv Sena ministers when present at cabinet meetings says 'hum saath saath hai... but when absent from it, they say 'hum aapke hain kaun...'
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