Farmers Movement Archive

Sharad Pawar meets CM Uddhav Thackeray; allies say it’s business as usual

MUMBAI: A day after a meeting between the Sena’s Sanjay Raut and BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis set the grapevine abuzz, NCP president Sharad Pawar met chief minister and Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday. Skill development minister Nawab Malik of the NCP and transport minister Anil Parab of the Shiv Sena both downplayed the meeting between the MVA allies. “Since it’s a three-party government, Pawar has been meeting the CM on a regular basis,’’ said Malik. It is learned that the two discussed the unlocking process, the fight against Covid-19, the new farm laws and Maratha reservation. Cong to meet guv today on new agri lawsRevenue minister Balsaheb Thorat, who is Congress state unit president, also had a meeting with the chief minister. He said he did not attach much importance to the meeting between Raut and Fadnavis. “Raut met Fadnavis in his capacity as a scribe,” he said. Raut had later said the meeting was in connection with an interview of Fadnavis in the Shiv Sena organ Saamna. Stating that the Congress was opposed to the new farm laws, Thorat said a delegation of Congress legislators would meet governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Monday to press for a repeal of the laws. “We are of the firm opinion that the laws are anti-farmer and they will destroy the agriculture produce market committees across the state,” Thorat said. He was speaking after a high-level meeting of the party. “Our view is that the bills were passed in haste, without taking note of the plight of farmers. The NDA government has completely ignored the aspect of minimum support price,” Thorat said.

The Times of India

2020-09-28

Mumbai