The winter session of Maharashtra legislature began on a stormy note on Monday in Nagpur as an aggressive opposition kept raising demand for an immediate discussion on the issue of farm loan waiver thus leading to adjournments in both the houses—legislative assembly and legislative council.
The legislators from opposition sat on the stairs of Vidhan Bhavan in Nagpur and raised demands like 'Jo Sarkar Nikammi Hai, Woh Sarkar Badalni Hai' (This uselsess government ought to be changed), 'BJP Sarkar Hatao, Kaapus Bachao'( Save Cotton, Remove BJP government) and 'He Maza Sarkar Nahi' (This is not my government).
Senior NCP leader and former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar dared the Fadnavis government provide a detailed explanation as to what all work was carried out during the last three years. Don't keep asking what our government did in 15 years of its rule, instead provide an account of the work you have done, Ajit Pawar said.
An aggressive opposition means that the government will have tough time in the days ahead in order to carry out business during the legislature session. Opposition is firm on raising wide ranging issues like the attack of bollworm on cotton crop resulting in losses to the tune of thousands of crores of rupees, deaths of farmers due to pesticide poisoning in Yavatmal, continuing suicides by farmers, and more importantly what opposition claims as 'failure of the ambitious farm loan waiver ' announced by Fadnavis government.
In the legislative assembly, the opposition benches demanded an immediate discussion on the issue of farm loan waiver scheme. However, the Speaker did not accept the demand raised by the opposition. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, too, launched a scathing attack on the opposition. He pointed out that the amount of funds received by Buldana district in the course of farm loan waiver this year was equal to the entire amount spent in Vidabha region during the loan waiver in 2008. Farmers suicides have continued because of the faulty policies that previous government implemented, he said.
A united opposition has given a call for 'HallaBol' march against the Fadnavis government on Tuesday in Nagpur.
