Mumbai: Nearly a year after he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate and sent to Arthur Road jail, NCP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal has written to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis highlighting the plight of a farmer who has threatened suicide if he doesn’t get assistance.
Urging Mr. Fadnavis to take cognisance of the plight of farmer Krishna Dongre and lakhs like him who are suffering due to drought and natural calamities, Mr. Bhujbal said in the letter that farmers cannot be freed from debt unless their loan are waived off.
In his letter on March 14, he congratulated the BJP for its election wins in Maharashtra. Highlighting Mr. Dongre’s ‘application for suicide’ submitted to the State government. It read: “Owing to repeated natural calamities and falling prices, my family and I have been debt-ridden. I had taken a private loan of ₹1.5 lakes to come out of debt by giving up my wife’s jewellery. Without any assistance from the government, I seek permission to commit suicide.”
Mr. Bhujbal’s office has already expressed his ‘shock’ at the State government’s decision to deny loan waivers to farmers. Before his arrest, he had invoked Jyotirao Phule in the Legislative Assembly to point out how no cognisance has been taken of farmers suicides in Marathwada and Vidarbha. He also criticised the government for ignoring the plight of the economically weaker sections, OBCs and textile workers.
