BJP gherao Assembly in Nagpur on farmers' issues

The state BJP chief Sudhir Mugantiwar on Wednesday said that his party would gherao the Maharashtra assembly in Nagpur on December 11 to protest over issues, including low rates paid to raw cotton, paddy and soyabean growers, FDI in retail, price-rise, corruption, high prices of electricity and rationing of subsidized LPG cylinders.

The winter session of the state legislature is beginning here on December 10 and on the second day itself the BJP is planning a massive gherao of the Vidhan Bhavan. "We will surround it from all sides blockading all entry points. Because of ill-governance by the Congress led government in the state and the Centre common man is finding it difficult to survive. There are so many issues that need attention but the government is not sensitive to them," said Mugantiwar at a press conference here this evening.The BJP is demanding Rs 6,000 per quintal for the raw cotton while the cotton growers are getting a meagre price of just Rs 3,900 per quintal.

Earlier in the day he addressed some 11000 party workers from all six districts of eastern Vidarbha at conference held at Reshimbagh hall. The BJP is demanding higher support price for cotton, paddy and soyabean, the three main crops of this region. The current MSP of cotton is 3900, of paddy 1250 and soyabean around Rs 3000, but the BJP wants it raised to Rs 6000, Rs 2500 and Rs 4000 a quintal respectively. "To press this demand we will hold farmers’ protests in front of all tehsil offices on December 3," the state BJP president said.

The proposed gherao agitation (siege to the Vidhan Bhavan) will be led by BJP national president Nitin Gadkari ( he is also an MLC), deputy leader in Lok Sabha Gopinath Munde, Mugantiwar, Vinod Tawade and Eknath Khadse, he further added.