Rahul Gandhi with NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) President Sharad Pawar during 'Kisan Mahapanchayat' in Nashi
Mumbai: Ahead of the the mega Congress-led I.N.D.I.A. rally in Mumbai, the grand old party’s principal allies in Maharashtra - the Sharad Pawar-headed NCP (SCP) and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) - on Thursday joined Rahul Gandhi in the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, as he assured that the opposition bloc, if voted to power, would be the voice of farmers.
Gandhi, the Wayanad MP, addressed a meeting at the agrarian belt of Chandwad-Pimpalgaon in the Nashik district, where he also reiterated the historic Kisan Nyay guarantees assured by the Congress.
In the meeting, NCP (SCP) supremo Sharad Pawar, who had been the union Agriculture Minister for a record 10 years in the Dr Manmohan Singh-led UPA government, state NCP (SCP) President Jayant Patil, Thackeray’s close aide and Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut were present.
“The I.N.D.I.A. alliance government will be the voice of farmers and work to protect their interests,” Gandhi said and lashed out at the Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre for ignoring the plight of the farmers.
Gandhi said that MSP will be given legal status and special law to this effect will be passed in accordance with the Dr MS Swaminathan Commission formula, establishment of Standing Farm Loan Waiver Commission, redesigning of the PM Fasal Bima Yojana, import-export policy for agricultural commodities, and GST-mukt farmers.
Pawar accused the Centre of being apathetic to the plight of farmers and the agriculture sector.
"Due to lack of price for their produce, farmers are debt ridden and committing suicide,” he said and pointed out that the then UPA government had waived off Rs 70,000 crore loan of farmers.