After failing to get the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena government to announce a full waiver of farm loans, all major opposition parties in Maharashtra will take out a second 'Sangharsh Yatra' to press for the demand.
The second 'Sangharsh Yatra' will begin on April 15 after the first such week-long agitation was carried out in parts of eastern Maharashtra and Marathwada last week, said Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sudhir Dhone on Saturday.
"The decision was taken at a joint meeting of various parties including Congress, Nationalist Congress Party, Samajwadi Party, PWP, PRP and others with Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil," Dhone said.
He said that since the opposition had been clamouring for a farm loans waiver package in the state budget last month, the ruling party had suspended 19 opposition parties legislators after which the entire opposition had boycotted the proceedings of the legislature.
"The government failed to do justice in the legislature, so we have decided to take the matter to the peoples' court through the 'Sangharsh Yatra' medium," he pointed out.
It would be launched on April 15 from Sindhkhedraja in Buldhana and wend its way through other districts like Jalgaon, Dhule, Nandurbar, Nashik and Palghar on April 18.
The agitation by the opposition parties will continue till the state government decides to completely wipe-off all pending farm debts in the state.
The opposition parties and ruling ally Shiv Sena have demanded that if Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath can keep his election promise and announce a farm loans waiver package, why can't Maharashtra do the same.
However, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has repeatedly stated that the government is 'committed to providing relief' to the farmers and has ordered a study of the Uttar Pradesh loan waiver model before taking steps to implement it.
--IANS
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