Congress leaders, including State Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat, Energy Minister Nitin Raut, Ministers Yashomati Thakur, Sunil Kedar, Vijay Wadettiwar, Basavaraj Patil, Muzaffar Hussain , MP Balu Dhanorkar, MLA Vikas Thakre, former Minister Rajendra Mulak and others, sharing the dais. (Pic by Satish Raut)

 

 

 

MPCC Chairman and State Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat on Saturday hit out at BJP-ruled Union government over new farm laws and alleged that the laws will destroy farmers by making them slaves of big industrialists. Thorat was speaking at massive tractor rally organised by the Congress party to protest against the new farm laws and rising fuel price. At the onset, farmers gheraoed Raj Bhavan at Civil Lines in the tractors raising demand to repeal the new farm laws. Hundreds of women made bhakars on hearths as a mark of protest.

 

 

 

MPCC Working President and Energy Minister Dr Nitin Raut, MPCC Women’s Cell President and Women and Child Welfare Minister and Yashomati Thakur, Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Minister Sunil Kedar, Relief and Rehabilitation Welfare Minister Vijay Wadettiwar, former Minister Basavaraj Patil, MPCC working President Muzaffar Hussain, MP Balu Dhanorkar, senior leader Manikrao Thakre, City Congress chief Vikas Thakre, President of Nagpur District Congress Committee and former Minister Rajendra Mulak, MLA Bhai Jagtap, Ashish Dua, B M Sandeep, Sachin Naik, Satyajit Tambe, Sandhya Sawwalakhe, Vilas Autade, ministers Shivajirao Moghe, Chandrakant Handore, Anis Ahmed, Satish Chaturvedi, Sangram Thopte, MLC Abhijeet Vanjari, MLA Raju Parve, MLA Pratibha Dhanorkar, MLA Wajahat Mirza, President of INTUC H Q Jama and other leaders also were present at the rally. Thorat also said that the farmers are protesting for last 50 days daring cold and rainy mornings.

 

The laws will help industrialists pocket huge profits and there is nothing in these three laws that would benefit the farmers. These laws have been made keeping in view the interests of the industrialists, he alleged. “MVA government had waived off loans of the farmers. A package of Rs 10,000 crore was given as compensation for the damage caused by heavy rains and storms,” he said. Thorat warned that the protest will continue till the government railed to repeal the laws. Energy Minister Dr Raut said that the Modi government is constantly working by neglecting the Parliament and the Constitution.

 

The RSS-led government is concerned only about selected businessmen and about the general public, he alleged. Minister Kedar said, “This is a do-or-die situation for farmers. Farmers will survive only if the anti-farmer laws are repealed. In Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, even 10 farmers do not get guaranteed price since the APMC’s are dissolve, he added. Minister Wadettiwar alleged that farmers were not taken into confidence while drafting the law. Ex-MLA Mohan Joshi compared the programme while former minister Rajendra Mulak proposed a vote of thanks. Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe, Atul Kotecha, Sahida Nizam Ansari, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutto, Atul Lande, Vishal Muttemwar and others also participated in in the rally.