Shiv Sena to stall House over loan waiver for Maha farmers

Party chief Uddhav Thackeray has instructed Sena legislators to not let the House function until the BJP-led state government, of which the Sena is also part, announces a loan waiver for Maharashtra’s farmers, party leaders said.

After calling off its alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the local polls, the Shiv Sena is likely to brew more trouble for the BJP at the ongoing budget session of the state legislature over loan waiver for farmers.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray (HT file)

Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has instructed party legislators to not let the House function until the BJP-led state government, of which the Sena is also part, announces a loan waiver for Maharashtra’s farmers, party leaders said.

“The Sena chief has given clear instructions to all legislators to not let the session function until our demand for a loan waiver for farmers is met. Our demand will remain forever,” said Sena minister Ramdas Kadam in Ratnagiri.

The party has been raising this since it snapped ties with the BJP before going solo for 2017 civic polls, district council and panchayat samitis polls across Maharashtra. The Shiv Sena attacked the BJP for including the promise to make farmers debt-free in its manifesto for the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, but not heeding to the demand for a loan waiver in Maharashtra.

During the entire first week of the session, the Sena joined the Opposition parties in pressing for a loan waiver for farmers, protesting against the state and disrupting House proceedings.

In the state legislative council, the party joined hands with the Opposition in stalling the proceedings over the demand for the suspension of Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) Prashant Paricharak for making objectionable remarks about wives of soldiers.