NCP mocks Munde for his statement on compensating farmers

Munde had announce that BJP would resort to agitation if the Maharashtra govt did not announce compensation for hailstorm affected farmers

Ridiculing BJP leader Gopinath Munde for announcing that the BJP would resort to agitation if the Maharashtra government did not announce compensation for hailstorm-affected farmers, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) asked him to take up the cause of Madhya Pradesh farmers who bore the maximum brunt of the unusual hailstorm. “Munde considers himself a national leader and neighbouring Madhya Pradesh is the worst affected by hailstorm. The condition of farmers in that state is very poor and the BJP government has completely neglected them,” NCP spokesman Nawab Malik told reporters here on Tuesday.

Malik said that NCP leaders have toured the affected districts and assessments of losses have been prepared.

A central team visited Maharashtra and submitted its report to the Centre, he said.

A decision by the Centre on a relief package is expected to be announced in a day or two, he said.

“BJP leaders have not travelled to affected areas to assess the damage and Munde himself has travelled only to one or two villages,” he said.

Referring to Bhiwandi NCP leader Kapil Patil joining the BJP, Malik said that his stay in the BJP would be shortlived.

“It is merely to contest the Lok Sabha election from Bhiwandi. He will change his party soon after the election because the Congress will win the Bhiwandi seat,” he said, adding that the NCP had made Patil the Bhiwandi Zilla Parishad president, but he always indulged in “politics”.