Swabhimani Paksha to hold rally for farm loan waiver in Mumbai today

Shetti, a Member of Parliament (MP) from Hathkanangale constituency in Kolhapur, is on a six-day repentance march from Pune to Mumbai. The march, which confronts the state government on various demands of farmers, will reach Mumbai on Monday

NDA ally Swabhimani Paksha, headed by farmer’s leader Raju Shetti, has decided to go ‘no holds barred’ against Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government over loan waiver for distressed farmers.

Swabhimani Paksha MP Raju Shetti in Navi Mumbai on Sunday. (Bachchan Kumar)

Shetti, a Member of Parliament (MP) from Hathkanangale constituency in Kolhapur, is on a six-day repentance march from Pune to Mumbai. The march, which confronts the state government on various demands of farmers, will reach Mumbai on Monday. On Tuesday, Shetti and other workers will meet Governor CV Rao and hand over all 6.5 lakh forms filled by farmers who want a loan waiver.

Accusing the government of deceiving farmers, Shetti said he was repenting his decision of supporting the government, which had adopted a ‘Mar Jawaan, Mar Kisaan (‘Die Youth, Die Farmer’)’ policy.

“The farmers who elected this government will eliminate it. The jawans being martyred at the border are from farmer families and in villages, farmers are killing themselves. The government is following a Mar Jawaan, Mar Kisaan policy,” he said.

Swabhimani Paksha collected these forms from states, in which farmers are debt-ridden because of bad policies implemented by the government.

Shetti, the Shiv Sena, another ally of the BJP government, and opposition parties have been demanding a loan waiver for farmers for a sometime now.

On reaching Mankhurd, Shetti was put on intravenous medication because his blood pressure fell drastically. “He and the farmers, who are taking part in the march, will stay at Chembur and will hold a rally at Lalbaug on Monday,” said a party office-bearer. “We had hoped that things will change for farmers after a tea-seller (Narendra Modi) became the Prime Minister, but were were disappointed.”