Farmers threaten self immolation at RSS headquarters in Nagpur

Farmers affiliated with a Congress outfit have threatened to set themselves on fire in front of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) headquarters at Mahal on February 28 because of non payment of dues.

Protesting against the non-payment of Rs 8 crore to cotton growers by Sunil Talatule, owner of Shrikrushna Ginning Mill and son of an influential RSS leader, farmers affiliated with the Congress outfit Bharatiya Kisan Khet Mazdoor Congress have threatened to set themselves on fire in front of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) headquarters at Mahal on February 28.

Farmers affiliated with a Congress outfit have threatened to set themselves on fire in front of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) headquarters. (Representative image)

According to Prem Gajbhare of BKKMS, Sunil, son of the late Prabhakar Talatule, procured around 20,000 quintals of raw cotton from farmers for his mill at Selu in Wardha district from November 2014 to April 2015. However, Talatule failed to pay the cotton growers.

Gajbhare said around 400 cotton growers suffered because of non-payment of dues by the mill and they faced hardship as they were unable to repay crop loans and keep the household running.

“We have sent a letter to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to intervene and ensure Talatule pays the distressed farmers. But nothing was done,” he alleged.

Gajbhare alleged Talatule claimed that action can’t be taken against him as his father was an influential figure in the Sangh Parivar. “We have lodged a police complaint against Sunil Talatule in this regard,” he said.