Fadnavis takes a dig at Shiv Sena for its contrasting stand on farm bills in Parliament

Former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis on Monday took a dig at Shiv Sena for taking a contrasting stand on the farm bills in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. While the Sena had backed The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 and The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 in the Lok Sabha with some suggestions, party MP Sanjay Raut vociferously opposed these bills in the Upper House. Terming the Sena as a "confused party", Fadnavis recalled that the former often acted as an opposition party despite sharing power with BJP in the state.

According to the BJP leader, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party had never taken a position on any issue concerning the agriculture sector. Hitting back at Raut, he dared the Sena to take the guarantee that not a single farmer shall commit suicide in Maharashtra, which is ruled by the Maha Vikas Aghadi. Thereafter, he advised Shiv Sena to not politicise this issue. 

Devendra Fadnavis remarked, "Firstly, Shiv Sena is a confused party. This is because it had a different stance in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. But this is nothing new. When it was with us in the government, it would also function as an opposition party."

"Basically, Shiv Sena has never taken a stance regarding the agriculture sector. It is their government in the state. They should take the guarantee that there wouldn’t be a single farmer suicide in Maharashtra. Will Sanjay Raut answer on why farmer suicides have increased in their tenure? Sena should stop playing politics," he added.

Read: Delhi Congress Leaders Stage Protest Against Farm Bills; Detained

Read: Farm Bills Need Of 21st Century, Mandis And MSP Will Stay: PM

Sena's take on the farm bills

Speaking during the debate on the aforesaid bills in Lok Sabha, Sena MP Arvind Sawant stressed on the importance of the Minimum Support Price clause. He opined that the farmers shall not get justice without the insertion of the MSP clause. He also raised concerns about the impact of the bills on 75% of farmers having less than 5 acres of land. 

In the Upper House, Raut questioned the Centre on whether it could assure the country that no farmer will commit suicide and his income will grow after the passing of the agriculture reform bills. Moreover, he demanded a special session be called for discussing these bills. Disagreeing with the Union government's contention that concerns about the MSP were misplaced, he asked whether SAD's Harsimrat Kaur Badal had resigned on the basis of mere rumours. 

Read: SAD Lambasts Punjab CM's 'double Standards' On Farm Bills, Cites Case Of Cong's Ally Sena