Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut today said ministers of his party boycotted the state cabinet meeting today as Devendra Fadnavis was "playing politics" on the farm loan-waiver issue, while the Chief Minister claimed they had sought his permission to not attend the meet.
"As farmers are protesting in the state, we believe there should be a discussion on the loan-waiver issue in the cabinet because the decision on it has to be taken by the cabinet, of which Shiv Sena is also a part," Raut told PTI.
He also alleged that attempts are being made to politicise the issue and take undue credit for it.
"You take the credit, we do not want it, but announce the loan waiver. Hold talks, but do not get politics in between. The chief minister and his people are bringing politics in it. If you don't want to hold talks with us, you should at least understand the Sena's stand," the Rajya Sabha MP said.
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters at the state secretariat, Fadnavis, said Sena ministers had called on him to seek his permission to remain absent from the cabinet meeting.
"They clarified that this should not be treated as their boycott. They said they should be made part of the talks on the farmers' loan issue, to which I said they are definitely involved in the process as they are part of the cabinet," Fadnavis said.
Raut said it was the Sena that had been for the last 15 years demanding a complete loan-waiver for farmers and clear their 7/12 land extracts and the BJP has never been in the picture.
The 7/12 land extracts are proof of agriculture land title ownership and they also mention cultivation details.
"If you are not ready to hold talks with us, nor with (Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatna MP) Raju Shetti, then who will you talk to? The CM says he will only talk to farmers, but who will tell him who is a real farmer? Is he himself a farmer to hold talks with the cultivators? There are many such questions remaining unanswered for which our ministers boycotted today's meeting," Raut said.
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