Key Points

Speaking at the morcha organised by his party to protest the government's "apathy" towards farmers, he accused the Mahayuti government of running away from its poll promise of farm loan waiver and warned that the party would launch statewide protests.

Thackeray demanded that the government should not restructure the farm loans but waive it in a serious bid to rebuild the farmers who are completely broken due to the natural disaster that struck Marathwada and other parts of the state.

Thackeray, who was accompanied by party MP Sanjay Raut, legislator Aaditya Thackeray and former leader of opposition Ambadas Danve among others, demanded that the government should pay Rs 50,000 per hectare claiming the aid announced in the relief package is quite inadequate.

"The package announced by the government is unacceptable to the farmers. Although the relief package is a cruel joke, the government is busy patting its back," he said.

"We are asking for Rs 50,000 per hectare from those who have taken 50 boxes (referring to the alleged money transaction by rebels in June 2022). Three days ago Prime Minister Narendra Modi came and went back to Delhi without uttering a single word about the financial aid from the Centre to the flood-hit farmers. What justice are we seeking from a Prime Minister who does not know the ground level situation?" asked Thackeray.

Taking a dig at Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Thackeray said, "The farmers from Marathwada are saying that king was generous and gave us watermelon."

Thackeray said he was ready to support the package announced by the government but on a condition that the government should deposit before Diwali Rs 1 lakh of the financial aid of Rs 3.50 lakh per hectare announced for land that has been eroded from NAREGA in the bank account of the farmers.

Stepping up attack against the government, he said, "You (Mahayuti) need the votes of farmers to do politics. You come to power with the votes of farmers. You do politics on the votes of farmers. Then when the farmers ask for justice, you say it is not politics. They said that they will restructure the loans. We do not want this restructuring. We do not want farmers to die today and tomorrow. We want debt relief."

Referring the CM Fadnavis' statement questioning what right he has to talk about crop loan waiver, Thackeray added, "I have every right as when I was the Chief Minister, I had waived farm loans. We are warning the government that if you do not make the farmers debt free, we will launch state wide protests."

He assured the farmers that the party will be with them in every crisis shoulder to shoulder.

- IANS