Sena MPs: Treat unseasonal rain as natural calamity

Taking on the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Central government on the first day of the winter session, Shiv Sena Members of Parliament (MPs) on Monday staged a walkout

Taking on the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Central government on the first day of the winter session, Shiv Sena Members of Parliament (MPs) on Monday staged a walkout and protested on Parliament premises, demanding the unseasonal rainfall in Maharashtra that has led to severe crop damage be declared a natural calamity.

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The BJP and Shiv Sena contested the Assembly elections in October in an alliance, but fell out over the issue of a rotational chief minister. The Sena is now sitting in the Opposition benches. Vinayak Raut, Shiv Sena MP from Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg, said, “Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari’s announcement of financial aid of ₹8,000 per hectare is not relief, it is alms. There is an urgent need to give farmers ₹25,000 per hectare. The administration should complete panchnama at the earliest.”

In an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana, the Sena said the Centre shouldn’t indulge in vindictive politics and target rain-affected farmers. “We request the Centre not to take revenge on farmers for not bringing in a BJP government in the state.”

It referred to the Maharashtra Governor as ‘raja’ (king), stating he didn’t allow government formation in Maharashtra and also did not meet the expectation of farmers.