Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole. file | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Nana Patole on Sunday demanded that a joint committee of the Legislature and the Buldhana police should investigate the incident, accusing the police of “brutally lathi-charging” the protesting farmers in Buldhana district of the state’s Vidarbha region. The Superintendent of Police should be suspended immediately.
Mr. Patole alleged that farmers protesting against not getting crop insurance, demanding an increase in prices for soyabean and cotton crops, were lathicharged by local police officers.
“The ruling BJP government has mercilessly attacked our food providers fighting for justice and their rights. The Superintendent of Police of Buldhana should be immediately suspended and the entire matter should be probed through a joint committee of the Legislature,” Mr Patole said in Mumbai.
Criticizing the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government over the incident, he said that the BJP has once again described itself as fundamentally ‘anti-farmer’.
“Lakhs of farmers had protested at Delhi border for a year [2020-21] Demanded repeal of the controversial farm laws, but the Modi government tried its level best to crush the protests. Seven hundred farmers were martyred in this movement… The Shinde-Fadnavis government should remember that even the arrogant Modi government had to bow down to the resolve of the farmers.’
Mr Patole said farmers in Maharashtra were in distress due to frequent crop losses due to excess rains and unseasonal rains and they were not able to get the right price for their produce.
“Their woes are further compounded by the fact that fuel prices have gone up under the watch of the BJP government, resulting in higher cost of agricultural inputs, be it seeds, fertilizers or diesel. The farmers of 16 districts of the state have had to bear the wrath of nature. And now, when they are trying to claim their due compensation, they are being lathicharged by the police,” Mr Patole said, railing against the insensitivity of the ruling government.
He further alleged that Congress’s Buldhana district president and Chikhli MLA Rahul Bondre along with former minister Rajendra Shingane were allegedly stopped by the police while trying to meet the protesting farmers.
“Is it a crime in a democratic state to protest for your demands? What was the need for the police to lathicharge? We will not tolerate this bullying by the Shinde-Fadnavis government. The entire matter should be thoroughly investigated and action should be taken against the erring police officers,” Mr Patole said.