Uddhav Thackeray backs Marathwada farmers

Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray backed the demand by farmers for relief as he embarked on his first tour of Maharashtra after the rebellion of Eknath Shinde that split his party and brought the Maha Vikas Aghadi government down. Thackeray, who had been convalescing from spinal surgery, met farmers in Sambhaji Nagar in Marathwada where unseasonal rains have led to widespread crop damage and losses to farmers.

Thackeray heard their grievances and demands for government support. He slammed the Shinde government, calling it "insensitive."

"This government has no empathy, they are constantly celebrating festivals, while farmers have no money during Diwali and have no food to eat," he said. "Don't the farmers have a right to celebrate Diwali? You were traitors and brought my government down, but now you have even emerged as traitors to the farmers."


Without naming the chief minister, Thackeray said, "You are just roaming around the state and you don't have time to see the pain of the farmers."

He said the government could claim that it had no control over the weather.

But "it is the government's responsibility to ensure that they give relief to the farmer," he said. "This is a very heartless government that does not have any empathy."

Thackeray said farmers want ₹50,000 per hectare as compensation and his party backs them. The National Disaster Response Fund norms have to be changed as compensation for farmers is inadequate and more needs to be done.

The trip comes as the Bharatiya Janata Party has been accusing Thackeray of remaining ensconced in his home during his 2.5-year term as chief minister.