Oppn keeps up protest in Maharashtra assembly over farm loan issue

The Opposition kept up the demand for farm loan waiver and continued its protest against the Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP government in Maharashtra in both Houses of legislature, disrupting proceedings for the second day on Wednesday.

The Opposition kept up the demand for farm loan waiver and continued its protest against the Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP government in Maharashtra in both Houses of legislature, disrupting proceedings for the second day on Wednesday.

Congress and NCP MLAs staged a protest and demanded farm loan waiver at Vidhan Bhavan, in Mumbai. (Kunal Patil/HT photo)

Charging the Fadnavis government with adopting an adamant stand on the issue, Opposition members boycotted the proceedings in the assembly while their colleagues forced the adjournment of the legislative council.

Sticking to its stand, the government told the assembly that it was impossible for the state to shoulder this liability on account of a huge debt of Rs 3.30 lakh crore on it.

Earlier, the House saw two adjournments of 10 minutes each as Opposition targeted the government on delay in implementing the housing scheme for mill workers and refraining from announcing loan waiver for farmers.

Opposition leader Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil said the delay in implementing housing scheme was hurting the mill workers. Besides, farmers suicides were on the rise and there was no clarity on demand for loan waiver, he said.

The Opposition members then walked out of the House and sat on the stairs of the Vidhan Bhavan chanting slogans against the government.

With the opposition staying away from the House, the House passed passed the Land Revenue Code (amendment) bill.

Keeping the issue alive in the upper House as well, the opposition forced the adjournment of the day's sitting.

Seeking to drive a wedge between the ruling partners BJP and Shiv Sena, NCP leader Sunil Tatkare sought to know from the latter where it stood on the farmers' issue. He said the Opposition was staging a walkout in protest against the government's apathy towards farmers.

"The Sena today is in power. So, before the discussion on farmers' loans starts, their position should be made clear in the House. We demand this because Shiv Sena party president (Uddhav Thackeray) has demanded loan waver," Tatkare said.

His comments drew support from other opposition members who started raising slogans against the government and stormed into the Well of the House demanding justice for farmers.