Hours after Kisan Kranti core committee called off the farmers’ agitation in the wake of talks with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, its beleaguered leader Jayaji Suryavanshi on Saturday apologised to the farming community and said that he would be with the farmers in continuing the agitation.
Notwithstanding Suryavanshi’s announcement for withdrawal of agitation, the farmer leaders in places like Pune, Nashik, Nanded and Sangli said that they were not ending the agitation as decided by the Kisam Kranti Core Committee. The Kisan Kranti Morcha activists staged a protest near the APMC bazaar at Manmad in Hashik district. The farmers in Sangli district in western Maharashtra burnt the effigies of Fadnavis and Swabimani Shetkari Sanghatana Minister in the Government Sadabahu Khot.
Under severe criticism from farmers across the State for calling off the agitation after his meeting with Fadnavis, a chastened Suryavasnhi said, “If farmers think that I have erred in calling off the agitation, I would like to apologise to all farmers in the State. In case the farmers are firm on continuing the agitation, I am with them”.
Survavanshi’s decision to call off the agitation — that too with the State Government not accepting any of the farmers’ demands — came as a rude shock to farmers across the State. The farmers charged that the State Government had “managed” Suryavanshi and that he might have received money from the State Government.
A cornered Suryavanshi denied the charges and said “The Kisan Kranti core committee had taken the decision to call off the agitation. As a member, I had also given consent to the committee’s decision. I have not taken any money. I am ready to fight the battle shoulder to shoulder with farmers. My conscience is clear. Please prove that I have links with the ruling BJP. If found guilty, please hang me.”
Earlier, addressing a news conference at as early as 3 am after his meeting with Suryavanshi and other core committee members, Fadnavis announced that the farmers’ agitation had been called off.
Among other things, the Chief Minister said that the State Government would set up a high-level committee to look into their demands and assured that loans of small land-owning farmers would be off by October 31. “We are open to a farm loan waiver. We shall set up a committee for the purpose which will include farmers’ representatives and take a decision by October 31,” Fadnavis said.
The farmers had gone on an indefinite agitation from Thursday to press their various demands, including farm loan waiver, remunerative prices for their produce and pension for them after 60 years of age.
Meanwhile, as many as 19 APMC markets remained closed for the consecutive day on Saturday in support of the farmers’ agitation. “The question of farmers calling off the agitation will not arise till demands are met by the Government,” veteran farmers’ leader Raghunathdada Patil said.