Agitation for loan waiver for farmers will continue: Pawar

NCP president Sharad Pawar today said the agitation by Opposition parties demanding loan waiver for farmers will not stop until the state government accepts the demand.
"I want to assure farmers that they should not end their lives. We will make lives of the ruling party miserable unless it accepts to implement the sentiments of the people (for giving loan waiver)," Pawar said addressing a rally of Opposition parties to conclude the week long Sangharsh Yatra.
The Yatra was organised by the Opposition parties to highlight the plight of farmers and to demand loan waiver for them. It had begun on March 29 from Chandrapur district in Vidarbha region.

Pawar lashed out at the BJP government for turning a blind eye to the sufferings of farmers. "We should teach this government a lesson," he said.
Senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar demanded that the government announce loan waiver in the ongoing Budget session itself.
The NCP president also took a dig at the ruling BJP over farm loan waiver issue, saying not keeping promises was the ruling party's specialty.

"Not fulfilling promises made to the people is BJP's specialty," he said.
The saffron party did not give reservation to the Dhangar community which it had promised, nor did it keep the promise of loan waiver to farmers, he said.

State Congress chief Ashok Chavan said the Yatra was the beginning of a united agitation against the BJP government.
"It will intensify in the days to come," he said.
A farmer committed suicide even as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis visited Chandrapur today, he said.
"His body was hanging from a tree for eight hours. I condemn this insensitive government," Chavan said, claiming that Maharashtra led in the number of farmer suicides in the country.
Tamil Nadu High Court had ordered the government there to waive farm loans, Chavan pointed out.
Narayan Rane, fellow Congress leader, said the Fadnavis government suspended opposition MLAs from the Assembly for creating a ruckus, but when Fadnavis was in the opposition, he used to demand registration of murder cases against the government for farmer suicides.

"When will he file 9,000 criminal cases for the suicides that have taken place since he became the CM," Rane asked.
State NCP president Sunil Tatkare said the agitation will continue. "The government will have to agree to loan waiver or quit," he said.