Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was heckled by angry farmers during a programme at Lasalgaon in Nashik district on Sunday. The farmers were staging a demonstration against the Maharashtra government’s ambitious ₹34,000-crore farm loan waiver.
The angry farmers interrupted the Chief Minister’s speech with loud boos and demanded a complete loan waiver and immediate implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations, which includes fixing a minimum support price (MSP) for agricultural produce over and above the input costs.
Mr. Fadnavis was left red-faced as he failed to calm down the protesters and they continued to raise slogans throughout his speech.
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Earlier in the day, villagers of Naitale, which is situated 14 km from Lasalgaon, observed a bandh against the Chief Minister’s visit. Mr. Fadnavis is on a tour of Nashik along with Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, Cabinet Ministers and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders.
Nashik was the hotbed of the farmers’ agitation that rocked the State in early June this year. The Nashik core committee of the Kisan Kranti Morcha went on to spearhead the agitation and replaced the Ahmednagar farmers’ faction, which had given the clarion call for the protest.
Despite a number of assurances and proposals put forward by the BJP government, the committee has remained restive and has announced that they will be staging a massive road blockade on August 14.
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Farmers’ leaders in the core committee include Raju Shetti, Swabhimani Paksha president and MP, and legislator Bacchu Kadu. They have expressed their dissatisfaction with the government’s farm loan waiver, which is expected to benefit 89 lakh farmers by making 40 lakh among them debt-free while providing relief to 49 lakh others.
The State also announced interim assistance of ₹10,000 to help debt-stricken farmers to purchase seeds and fertilizers before the commencement of the Kharif sowing season.