Farmers Movement Archive

MVA & BJP engage in war of words on bandh

Aurangabad: While the MVA partners have appealed for a bandh on Monday to condemn the violence at Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP leadership had criticised the agitation. Maharashtra PWD minister and Congress leader Ashok Chavan, justifying the bandh call, said the farming community has strong objections to the farm laws framed by the Centre. “Farmers’ protests have been going on for months. The Centre is reluctant to hear the farmers’ side and is not taking a public-centric stand. Instead, the Lakhimpur incident implies that the government is trying to suppress the farmers’ voices. Congress leaders such as Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi were prevented from meeting the victims and their family members,” said Chavan, who is also the Nanded guardian minister. BJP leader and former water supply minister Babanrao Lonikar, however, said the MVA government should first address the rise in the number of farmer suicides in Maharashtra during its tenure before shedding crocodile tears over the UP violence. “The UP incident is condemnable and the law will take its own course. While the MVA government is showing sympathy for the farmers in UP, it should also break silence on the plight of farmers in Maharashtra,” he said. Lonikar added the state’s economy has already taken a hit due to the pandemic as all commercial establishments were closed, and the call for a bandh would further affect the businessmen and traders, besides the general public.

The Times of India

2021-10-11

Aurangabad