Mumbai, Sep 29 (IANS) The BJP on Monday targeted the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, saying that it should cancel the annual Dussehra rally being organised on October 2 in the wake of damage caused by heavy rains and floods in Marathwada and other parts of Maharashtra.

BJP’s demand comes amid Thackeray camp firing salvos on the MahaYuti government, alleging the mishandling of the natural disaster and dilly dallying over the announcement of crop loan waiver promised in the run-up to the state assembly elections held last year.

BJP has demanded that Shiv Sena UBT should spend the expenses being incurred on the Dussehra rally to help farmers hit by heavy rains and floods.

State BJP chief spokesperson Keshav Upadhye in his post on X said: “The flood situation in Marathwada is terrible. Everything has been destroyed. Uddhav Thackeray has spent three hours touring five districts and expressed his sorrow, pain and anguish. Seeing his feelings, everyone is upset. Uddhav Rao, now is the time to act. When you were the Chief Minister, you sometimes sat at home without taking action; now it is time to atone for it. The Dussehra gathering should be cancelled, and the expenses should be given to the flood victims. Then it would make sense to express your condolences for their pain and suffering.”

Upadhye took a dig at Uddhav Thackeray, saying that his father and Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray, during his address at the Dussehra rally, used to give valuable guidance. “However, Uddhav Thackeray devotes his time to criticising Eknath Shinde for deserting him. Why spend lakhs of rupees on organising the rally then?” he asked.

BJP’s demand comes when Thackeray camp is in the midst of organising the annual Dussehra rally at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Park, Dadar, in north central Mumbai. Thackeray camp plans to sound the bugle for the upcoming elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation on that day. Uddhav Thackeray has been holding a series of meetings with the party activists for mobilisation from across Mumbai and the rest of Maharashtra for the upcoming rally.

Thackeray on Saturday demanded that the Maharashtra government should immediately announce a complete farm loan waiver and provide financial assistance of Rs 50,000 per hectare to the farmers severely affected by heavy rains and floods in Marathwada and other parts of the state.

“Today, I request the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis with folded hands on behalf of the farmers to make them debt-free and immediately announce Rs 50,000 per hectare to them and distribute it in a time-bound manner. Stop the notices being sent to the farmers by the banks (for the recovery of loans),” he said at the press conference.

He strongly criticised the state government for the delay in providing help to the affected areas.

Thackeray said the government’s immediate help is necessary to rebuild the farmers, as the heavy and torrential rains and floods have wreaked havoc in Marathwada, and further damage is expected as the incessant rains still continue.

“Considering the assistance that the government has announced at present, the assistance of Rs 7-8 thousand per hectare is very little. It will take a lot of effort and money to make agricultural land cultivable, but how will the farmers who are now in debt be able to repay their loans? Therefore, the government should announce a complete loan waiver,” he added.

He slammed the BJP-led MahaYuti government, saying that “Farmers have not received the Rs 14,000 crore aid announced in the last two-three years. The loan waiver announced in 2017 (during the earlier government headed by CM Fadnavis) has not been implemented. The Maharashtra government should now announce aid of Rs 50,000 per hectare on the lines of the Punjab government to help farmers affected by the natural disaster. This is necessary as the loss incurred by the farmers will not be compensated in the next 2 to 3 years.”

–IANS

sj/dan