Oppn & farmers’ outfits protest fuel price hike, falling income

Nashik/Kolhapur/Pune: The opposition and several farmers’ outfits turned Tuesday into a day of protests against the fuel price hike and low returns on agricultural produce in the state. Districts including Nashik, Solapur, Pune, Nagpur and others witnessed rasta roko and other agitations by the opposition.

The ruling Mahayuti members said the protests were political. They claimed that when the MVA was in govt, it did not make decisions favourable to farmers and is trying to project the alliance as supporters of farmers.

MVA members participated in various protests across the state. They claimed that chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, along with both deputy chief ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar, are spending more time on deciding candidates for the MLC elections rather than taking steps to provide relief to the people.

MVA members held a sit-in agitation on the Mumbai-Agra Highway at Nashik’s Chandwad on Tuesday. The police detained some protesters, including state Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal, NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Ambadas Danve and others, to clear the highway.

Speaking at the protest site, Rohit said that onion farmers have suffered huge losses over the past few months due to the falling market prices but govt has done little to help them. “After we protested at Lasalgaon on May 18, the Centre raised the procurement rate to Rs 15 per kg but the hike is inadequate,” he added.

Rohit said the opposition will resume its agitation if the remunerative price of Rs 2,400 per quintal is not ensured by govt. Protesters blocked the highway for nearly two hours which led to vehicles waiting on either side of the highway. Attempts were made to deflate the tyres of vehicles after which police detained some protesters, including the MVA members.

Fadnavis called the protest political and claimed that MVA members participated in it for a photo opportunity. “The Centre decided on Rs 15 per kg rate for onion which earlier govts never offered. They are only interested in politicising the issue. We understand that more steps are needed for farmers and therefore, the state govt will meet with the Centre on Wednesday for long-term solutions,” Fadnavis said.

A similar protest was held in Solapur where farmers and Congress members led by MP Praniti Shinde staged a sit-in agitation on Pune-Solapur-Hyderabad highway. Praniti criticised the Centre claiming that its failed policies are adding to the people’s burden.

“People are suffering because of PM Modi’s policies. If India had not listened to Trump, we would not have faced this situation,” Shinde added.

The opposition also raised the fuel price hike through protests. Members from the Pune unit of the Congress travelled in horse and bullock carts to the collectorate.

Newly elected city unit president Prashant Jagtap said, “The BJP formed govt promising ‘achche din’ but in reality, its govt has taken decisions adding to people’s burden. Govt’s focus is to win elections but it is not interested in providing any relief to the people.”