All politicians, SRK, should give ₹1 crore each to farmers’ relief fund: Jarange-Patil

Manoj Jarange-Patil demands aid for flood-hit farmers at his Dussehra rally, threatening protests if the government fails to respond by Diwali.

MUMBAI: Barely a month after his massive agitation in Mumbai for Maratha reservation, Manoj Jarange-Patil, in his Dussehra rally at Narayangad, took up the cause of farmers who had suffered on account of the recent heavy rains. The activist put up eight demands before the state government, including an official announcement of a wet drought, a complete loan waiver for farmers and compensation of ₹70,000 to ₹1.30 lakh a hectare for those whose crops had been damaged.

All politicians, SRK, should give ₹1 crore each to farmers’ relief fund: Jarange-Patil

Jarange-Patil also demanded government jobs for the heirs of farmers who had died by suicide, a minimum support price for crops, relaxation in the conditions for crop insurance, and government-employee status for farmers with landholdings of less than 10 acres, accompanied by a monthly remuneration of ₹10,000. He threatened that if his ultimatum was not met by Diwali, he would convene a farmers’ meeting and announce the date for a fresh agitation. The Maratha activist also appealed to his community members to not ill-treat OBCs just because their leaders were talking against Maratha reservation.

While opposing the government’s decision to levy ₹15 per tonne on crushed sugarcane for flood-affected farmers’ relief, Jarange-Patil said that money should be taken from wealthy people instead. “The government should identify 1,000 politicians, including Devendra Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar, Eknath Shinde, Uddhav Thackeray, Raj Thackeray and Nana Patole and collect ₹1 crore each from them,” he said. “Actor Shahrukh Khan and BJP leader Mohit Kamboj too should donate a bit from their whopping wealth.” Another measure suggested was that 25% of government employees’ salaries should be cut.

The threat of a fresh protest was accompanied by warnings regarding the upcoming local body elections. “We will not allow these to be held or permit EVMs to be installed in our villages,” Jarange-Patil said. “No minister will be allowed to hold meetings. If the government forces this, Marathas will see to it that all ruling party candidates are defeated.”

Jarange-Patil withdrew his recent strike in Mumbai after the government agreed to implement the Hyderabad Gazette to enable Marathas to get Kunbi certificates, paving the way for their inclusion in the OBC quota. “Marathas should apply for their certificates before Diwali by taking an affidavit from people with the same surname,” he said. “These will help you prove your relations and lineage.” The activist said that given the flooding in Maharashtra, he had granted one more month to the government to issue the certificates.