Mumbai: Barely days after fighting an acrimonious electoral campaign against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the local body elections, the Shiv Sena once again joined the opposition in attacking the government on the third day of the Assembly’s budget session on Wednesday. Pandemonium prevailed after the Sena members, raising a demand for the waiver of loans to the farmers, joined the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLAs in the well. Speaker Haribhau Bagde twice adjourned the House before calling off all transactions for the day.
Adjournment notice
Earlier, opposition benches brought up an adjournment notice soon after the proceedings of the day were thrown open by the Speaker. The Leader of the Opposition, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, blamed the government for being lethargic over granting a loan waiver to the distressed farmers. Later outside the Assembly, Mr. Vikhe-Patil told reporters that it is time the government brought a resolution to this effect and subsequently provisioned for it in the State Budget likely to be presented on March 18.
Senior NCP leaders hit out at the government for pandering to the demands of the industry and ignoring the plight of the farmers. NCP leader Ajit Pawar pointed out the alacrity of the ministers in raising the same issue while in the opposition. The opposition MLAs soon raised slogans against the government, and later they were joined by the Sena legislators.
The Sena had raked up loan waiver during the recent poll campaign with party chief Uddhav Thackeray even threatening to pull out of the government if the demand was not met.
BJP ministers claimed their government is committed to serving the farmers, and making them free of future debt. “We are pro-farmer and want them to be free of debt at any cost,” said Education Minister Vinod Tawde outside the Assembly.
Agriculture Minister Pandurang Phundkar said the opposition is needlessly blowing the issue out of proportion. “Our honourable Chief Minister has already acknowledged the need for a loan waiver. But the idea of this BJP government is to first make farmers self-sufficient.”
Calling attention debate
The House was adjourned even as presiding officer Sudhakar Deshmukh called for a calling attention debate. The Congress leaders said they will not allow smooth functioning until the waiver is granted. Mr. Vikhe-Patil said the people of the state are fast losing trust and faith in the Devendra Fadnavis government. “The farmers are dying, their fields are parched, but this government continues to say this is not the appropriate time for a waiver.”
