Shetkari Sanghatna leader Sharad Joshi will lead a protest march outside the residence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on November 30 to highlight the "plight" of farmers in the state.
Joshi, who received an award in the memory of the state's first Chief Minister Yashwantrao Chavan on his 30th death anniversary from NCP chief Sharad Pawar today, also sought the latter's cooperation in the protest.
However, Pawar remained non-committal to Joshi's call.
"I will lead a protest at Fadnavis' residence and I seek your (Pawar's) cooperation," Joshi said addressing a gathering at Y B Chavan Pratisthan after receiving the award from Pawar.
Pawar said that even though he and Joshi had been political rivals and at loggerheads on several occasions, their objective has always been the welfare of farmers.
Pawar also recalled how Joshi had supported trials for the genetically-modified food when there was opposition in Parliament.
For agriculture production to improve, research in the sector should be enhanced, he said.
"Joshi does not believe in subsidies but wants that farmers should get what is rightfully due for their hard work," Pawar said, adding that government has to provide proper infrastructure for agriculture production for which huge investments are necessary.
The Y B Chavan national award would be presented to industrialist Ratan Tata in commemoration of Chavan's birth anniversary on March 12 next year.
