A major political controversy broke out in Maharashtra on Monday over the death of an 84-year-old farmer, with the Opposition Congress and the NCP dubbing it as “not a suicide, but a murder” and demanding that case of murder be registered against those responsible for the death.
Dharma Patil, a farmer from Dhule in north Maharashtra, died at the State-run JJ Hospital on Sunday evening, a week after he consumed rat poison while undertaking an agitation at Mantralaya (State Secretariat) demanding adequate compensation for the land acquired by the state government for a project.
Terming Patil’s death as a “murder and not suicide”, Maharashtra Congress chief and former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan said, “It is rather unfortunate that a farmer who tried to commit suicide at Mantralaya demanding adequate compensation for his land, died at the hospital while undergoing treatment. This is not a suicide but a state murder. A case of murder should be registered against those responsible for the death in the State Government.”
Stating that he was “deeply pained” by the death of Patil who fought against the “insensitive” and “apathetic” Government, Maharashtra’s former CM Prithiviraj Chavan and senior Congress leader said, “The chain of events like the messed-up loan waiver, grant non-remunerative farm prices and cruel land acquisition with unfair compensation has ended in the loss of another precious life” He demanded a judicial inquiry into Patil’s death.
“For whom is this Government really workingIJ If you cannot work in the interests of the people, you have no right to continue in power,” senior NCP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said.
Alleging that there was a prima facie scam behind the land acquisition done for a solar project, leader of the Opposition in the State legislative Council Dhananjay Munde said, “Earlier, the State Government announced a petty compensation of Rs 4 lakh to Dharma Patil, while it gave a staggering Rs 1.89 crore as compensation for a similar area of land located next to that of the deceased farmer. This is because the farmer owning the land adjacent to Dharma Patil’s land went to the State Government through a broker. There appears to be a major acquisition scam behind the whole thing. I demand that a case of murder be registered against those responsible for Dharma Patil’s death.”
Holding the State Government and its rehabilitation department is solely responsible for Patil’s death, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana leader and MP Raju Shetti said: “The officials should be booked under offence of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Since there were no middlemen involved, he was given a compensation of just Rs 4 lakh for his land”.
State NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik charged that a meeting called by State Energy Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule to discuss Patil’s demand for an increased compensation was cancelled at the behest of Tourism Minister Jayakumar Rawal of the BJP.
Alleging that Rawal had a firm that purchased land from farmers in Dhule district, Malik said: “Once a project is announced, Rawal’s firm purchases land from farmers at throw away prices and then sells the same land for a higher price. Using his political clout, Rawal had a meeting called by the State Energy Minister to discuss Patel’s demand for an increased cancelled. A disappointed Patil later attempted a suicide by consuming rat poison and he finally died at JJ Hospital yesterday”.
“Considering Rawal’s role in Patil’s death, the state government should take his resignation as a minister and register a case of murder against him,” Mailk said.