MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis over the relief package for rain-impacted farmers, calling it the 'biggest joke'.
Uddhav Thackeray said that PM Modi was in Maharashtra to inaugurate the Navi Mumbai International Airport, but he neither uttered the word for the rain-impacted farmers nor any relief package. He said ahead of PM's visit to Mumbai, the Maharashtra government announced the Rs 33,000 crore relief package for the rain-affected farmers because they did not want any trouble for the PM's visit.
“But whatever is offered in the package is nothing but a joke. This is the biggest joke of Maharashtra’s history. Each one, including experts and farmers, is saying nothing major in the package that will really help the farmers. Modi inaugurated the airport, for which the land was given by the farmers. Farmers in the state have suffered a lot of but there is no word from the PM. I am curious whether the PM is aware of the devastation of farm land due to the flood or not? The situation is grim, and the announcement is hollow and shallow. Farmers will not get anything out of it,” Uddhav Thackeray said.
He said there is a saying in Marathi that a king opens his heart and gives a pumpkin to his people, but when the same is done by CM Devendra Fadnavis, he offered melons instead of pumpkins to the farmers who lost everything in this flood.
Uddhav Thackeray demanded the farm loan waiver and reminded the people that when he was chief minister, his Maha Vikas Aghadi waived off the farmers' loans upto two lakh and even gave Rs 50,000 for regular crop loan farmers as an encouragement amount.
“Farmers are still talking about our government loan waiver scheme. They took Rs 50 crore to topple my government, now they should at least give Rs 50,000 financial help for per-hectare damage of crops and make the farmers' loans free if the ruling farmers really want farmers not to take any extreme step. The farm loan waiver is the only solution in this unprecedented crisis,” Uddhav Thackeray said.