BJP MP Nana Patole raps Devendra Fadnavis over farmers crisis

MUMBAI: Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Gondia Nana Patole once again created a stir on Wednesday by attacking his own party, saying the farmers’ situation has not changed at all, and more farmers had in fact died during the tenure of the Devendra Fadnavis government in Maharashtra than in the previous years.

Patole had earlier criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently saying that the latter doesn’t ‘like to be asked questions’, only to retract his statement later.

“If a state like Odisha can give MSP to its paddy farmers, then why can’t Maharashtra do so? There was a time when Maharashtra took the lead in such decisions and others followed,” said Patole on Wednesday while speaking to mediapersons.

When asked about his criticism against the Fadnavis government’s ‘anti-farmer policies’, the Gondia MP said that he has the right to criticise his ‘friend’.

“Fadnavis and myself started our political career at the same time. I consider him a friend, so if he makes mistakes, he should correct them and work for the people,” Patole said. The BJP MP, however, said his statement should not be misconstrued. “I have the right to criticise the policies if they are not benefiting the people. I am not involved in politics,” he said.

He also took offence to Maharashtra revenue minister Chandrakant Patil’s statement that 10 lakh bogus farmers have been detected while analysing the online applications for a farm loan waiver.

“How can he (Patil) say such a thing: the process for accepting online applications involves farmers giving details of their land records, so how can he say that the farmers were bogus? I will criticise such statements,” he said.