Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar has praised former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.
He said that Manmohan was sensitive towards the farmers. The former PM had visited Amravati in Maharashtra after learning about the suicide of some farmers, but now no one cares about the farmers’ issues.
Pawar was addressing the gathering on Saturday at the conclusion of Shetkari Aakrosh Morcha in Pune city. NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) MP Amol Kolhe led the foot march from the foothills of Shivneri Fort in Pune district.
Uddhav Thackeray and several Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders including Shiv Sena (UBT) Sanjay Raut, Congress’s Balasaheb Thorat and NCP leaders Kolhe and Supriya Sule were present on the occasion.
Pawar, who was agriculture minister in the previous Manmohan Singh cabinet, said, ‘I remember that the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had visited Amravati after the suicide of some farmers. He was sensitive towards the people as well as the farmers. Singh had also waived off agricultural loans worth Rs 72,000 crore at that time.
Now no one pays attention to the difficulties of farmers: Sharad Pawar
Sharad Pawar said that now no one is even paying attention to the difficulties faced by the farmers. He said that this Shetkari Aakrosh Morcha is not limited to Pune but it has reached the entire country.
Addressing the gathering, Sanjay Raut said that NCP MPs Supriya Sule and Amol Kolhe were suspended from Parliament for raising the issue of farmers.
He took a dig at Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Raut alleged, ‘BJP cannot even win the Gram Panchayat elections without EVM. They are dependent on EVMs for victory. We have formed an alliance with many regional parties in Maharashtra, but BJP’s partnership is with EVMs.