Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday said farmers should refuse to vote for the ruling Mahayuti coalition in Maharashtra until the government granted them a loan waiver. "I am here to give you courage. I stand firmly with you," Thackeray assured while interacting with farmers at Bhusani village in Ausa tehsil of Latur district in the wake of widespread damage due to heavy rains and floods.
He also demanded that the BJP-led government provide a compensation of Rs 50,000 per hectare to farmers.
Until the government fulfils its commitment to waive crop loans, every farmer should refuse to vote for Mahayuti candidates, said the former chief minister.
Taking a swipe at Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Thackeray said, "It's unfortunate that while our own farmers face severe problems, the chief minister finds time to campaign in Bihar." When Fadnavis was Leader of Opposition, he had demanded that a `wet drought' be declared in such situations, Thackeray said.
He also said that the women beneficiaries of the Ladki Bahin scheme should now demand Rs 2,100 from the government. At present, eligible women get Rs 1,500 per month under the scheme.
Speaking at Thorlewadi in Ahmedpur tehsil, Thackeray said, "No one listened to farmers, so I have come here to hear you out. When I was chief minister, Marathwada faced a major disaster, yet I fulfilled my duty with sincerity." Corruption has become routine news now, and the government has the money but it is meant only for contractors and their relatives, he alleged.
Outsiders in the BJP indulge in corruption and Fadnavis shields them while the old BJP loyalists are being sidelined, Thackeray claimed.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to double farmers' income, but only their input costs have doubled, he said.
Referring to Bihar, Thackeray said, "The prime minister credited money directly into women's accounts there without anyone demanding it. Is the prime minister only for one state or the entire country? Then he should deposit Rs 10,000 into women's accounts everywhere, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari."
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