Shah Promises ‘All Help’ To Maharashtra Farmers

The senior BJP leader also made a strong pitch for adoption of swadeshi citing the strength of India’s population. He took a potshot at Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray stating only the followers of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj could have the courage to rename Aurangabad as Sambhajinagar and Ahmednagar as Punyasloka AhilyaNagar.

Mr. Shah arrived in Ahilyanagar district on Saturday night. He on Sunday went to Shirdi at Sai Baba Dham to offer prayers to Sai Baba. After this, Mr. Shah inaugurated the expanded facility of the Pravara Sugar Factory in Ahilyanagar and unveiled the statues of Padma Shri Dr. Vithalrao Vikhe Patil and Padma Bhushan Balasaheb Vikhe Patil. He was accompanied by Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, his deputies Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, and Union minister of state for cooperation Murlidhar Mohol.

Maharashtra has witnessed large scale damages of crops due to heavy rains on more than 60 lakh hectares land. The opposition parties have demanded declaration of “wet drought”.

Addressing a gathering at Loni in Rahata taluka of Ahilyanagar district, Mr. Shah, who is also Union minister of cooperation, called Fadnavis, Pawar and Shinde ‘baniya’ although none of them belongs to Baniya (trader) community. “They asked me what will the government of India do for the farmers of Maharashtra. The trio held a detailed meeting with me yesterday (last night). On behalf of the Prime Minister, I have assured them that once the Maharashtra government sends a detailed report to us, Mr. Modi will not waste time to provide help to the farmers of Maharashtra,” the Union Home asserted.

Praising the state government’s initiative to provide monetary and foodgrain assistance to the distressed farmers, Mr. Shah said that the state government has initiated a scheme to provide Rs 10,000 in cash and 35 kg of food grains to affected farmers. Moreover, recovery of short-term agricultural loans has been suspended, and exemptions were granted in land revenue and school examinations.

Taking a dig at Mr. Thackeray, the senior BJP leader said the Mahayuti government changed the names of Aurangabad and Ahmednagar districts. “Only the followers of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj could have the courage to rename Aurangabad as Sambhajinagar and Ahmednagar as Ahilyanagar. The followers of Aurangzeb do not have the courage to rename Aurangabad in the name of Dharmveer Sambhaji Maharaj,” he said.

Appealing to the people to boycott foreign-made products on the occasion of the Deepawali, Mr Shah said, “140 crore people of the country should take a pledge to not bring any foreign products in their homes before the Deepawali festival. The traders should also take the pledge to sell only the Indian made products. India can achieve the first position in the world before 1947. The people from all over the world will have to come to India for production, because India itself has a market of 140 crore consumers. “