Maharashtra: BJP to protest over farmers' issues on 9 December

Aurangabad: The BJP has decided to hold agitations in Vidarbha and Marathwada regions of Maharashtra on 9 December against the state government’s alleged apathy towards farmers over compensation and other issues. BJP state unit chief Devendra Fadanvis told this to reporters during a press conference in Aurangabad on Tuesday.  "Maharashtra government is doing injustice to farmers. Some of the farmers from Vidarbha and Marathwada regions got a compensation amount as low as Rs 50 or Rs 200. It is insulting," he said. “A compensation of Rs 3,000 was paid to Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan’s wife Satvasheela for loss of crop. Though she refused to accept the amount, it shows that while the needy farmers are left in the lurch, the funds are reaching those who do not really need it,” Fadnavis said. Therefore, in order to protest the government’s apathy towards farmers, the BJP has decided to hold protests in Vidarbha and Marathwada districts on December 9, the day when the state legislature meets for the winter session in Nagpur, he said. The BJP leader said that his party had already submitted to Madhav Chitale Committee, the documents in connection with the irrigation scam in the state. “The truth in the irrigation scam will come out soon. But if we find that the report is not satisfactory, we will approach the court,” Fadnavis said. Replying to a query, he said his party supports the demand for separate Vidarbha, though the government is “adamant” and not moving in that direction. “It seems separate states are declared or created only when people turn violent and not when they press their demand in a democratic way,” he said. PTI