In its bitter criticism of its ruling ally BJP for its failure to check the recurring farmers’ suicides, the Shiv Sena said on Friday that while Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was busy wooing foreign investors in Davos to set up projects in the State, the debt-trapped farmers were continuing to end their lives in Vidarbha region.
In an editorial published in its official mouthpiece Saamana, the Shiv Sena hit out at Fadnavis for failing to live up to the expectations of the people from Vidarbha, a region that he hailed from and where the debt-ridden farmers were continuing to commit suicides on as large scale as before.
“The Government may have changed in the State, but there is absolutely no change in the lives of farmers in the region. With the advent of son of Vidarbha Devendra Fadnavis as the new Chief Minister of the State, there was high expectation that the farmers from the region would get a fresh lease of life. But, what we are witnessing in Vidarbha is heart rending situation where the debt-trapped farmers are continuing to commit suicides by consuming poison,” the Saamana stated, referring to suicides by five farmers in the region in a span of 24 hours.
Alluding to Fadnavis’ visit to Davos for attracting foreign investment to Maharashtra, the Sena stated: “At a time when the Chief Minister was busy laying red-carpet for investors desirous of setting up industrial units in Maharashtra, it was a tragedy that farmers were continuing to end their lives after failing to clear loans taken from local money lenders. We expected that the new Government would arrest the recurring suicides by farmers in Vidarbha. But, what we are witnessing is quite contrary to our expectations”.
The Shiv Sena —which had in the past slammed Maharashtra’s Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse of the BJP for his “insensitive” comment that if the farmers had money to pay for their mobile bills what was holding them from clearing the electricity bills —indirectly targeted Khadse yet again, by linking the current farmers’ suicides to the Minister’s comment.
“The farmers over-burdened with debt. The farmers who committed suicide didn’t even carry mobile phones. Hence, no one will even get a chance to ask why they cannot pay their electricity bills if they can pay their mobile phone bills,” the Sena editorial said.
“During election season, farmers were showered with promises of a change. What happened to those promisesIJ Who is responsible for fulfilling these promises nowIJ” the Sena wondered.
Charging that the BJP had failed to keep its promises made to the people especially the farmers in Vidarbha, the Sena stated: “Unhappy with the injustice meted to them by the previous DF Government, the farmers in Vidarbha voted for a change in government. In fact, the farmers overwhelmingly supported the BJP in the polls. Despite the fact that both the Chief Minister and Finance Minister (Sudhir Mungantiwar) hail from Vidarbha, we fail to understand as to why the farmers are continuing to commit suicides in Vidarbha region”.
Taking a pot shot at Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar who was instrumental in the BJP-led saffron alliance Government banning consumption and sale of liquor in home district of Chandrapur in Vidarbha region, the Sena stated ironically: “Recently, the Minister announced the ban on liquor in Chandrapur. Had the Minister concerned also announced a ban on farmers’ suicides, the families of the debt-ridden would have been relieved”.
