Mumbai, May 15 (IANS) Political parties and farmer groups on Friday staged a protest near Mantralaya in south Mumbai, demanding immediate help for mango and cashew growers from the Konkan region.​

As farmers marched towards Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ official residence, Varsha Bungalow, the protesters were stopped by the police and detained.​

State Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal, who participated in the protests, criticised the government’s “repressive tactics”, saying that the struggle would continue until substantial relief reached the farmers of Konkan.​

A protest march was planned from Girgaum Chowpatty to Varsha Bungalow to demand substantial aid for mango and cashew farmers in Konkan.​

Even before the march could begin, police detained hundreds of activists near Mantralaya, including Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana President and former MP Raju Shetty, Congress state President Harshwardhan Sapkal, Rashtriya Samaj Paksha leader Mahadev Jankar, Shiv Sena leader Vinayak Raut, MP Arvind Sawant, Marathi Bhasha Samiti’s Deepak Pawar, and Prakash Reddy.​

Some were taken to the Dongri Police Station, while others were shifted to Azad Maidan.​

Speaking on the occasion, Sapkal said that the Congress party had already officially extended support to the farmers’ agitation.​

“The Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti government had been warned that if the farmers’ demands were ignored, a march would be held on May 15. Since the government failed to respond, today’s protest march was organised for the farmers of Konkan.​

“The government does not permit protests and marches because it wants to suppress the voices of farmers, workers, and the opposition. This march for farmers was being conducted democratically, but the government is trampling upon democratic values,” he added.​

“Whenever the government gets scared, it sends the police ahead,” he said, adding that their demand is for compensation of Rs 5 lakh per hectare for mango farmers and Rs 3 lakh per hectare for cashew farmers, and that the struggle would continue until these demands were met.​

Former MP Raju Shetty criticised the state government for its apathy towards mango and cashew farmers from the Konkan region and demanded immediate financial aid.​

Meanwhile, Sapkal commented on the rise in the prices of petrol, diesel, and Compressed Natural Gas, saying it was pushing citizens already struggling with inflation into deeper distress.​

“This fuel price hike was inevitable, but it had been held back to avoid electoral losses for the Bharatiya Janata Party in the five state elections, and fuel prices may rise further.​

“It is because the PM Modi government has completely surrendered to the United States that the people of the country are suffering the burden of inflation. The rise in petrol and diesel prices has not happened suddenly. The PM Modi government has no planning and no fuel policy,” he claimed.​

Speaking on the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test paper leak issue, Sapkal said that the paper had leaked 71 times in the last seven years.​

“Lakhs of students work extremely hard, and like the students, parents too dream of seeing their children become doctors. But the entire system has become corrupt, including the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test.​

“This is extremely serious, but PM Modi is ignoring it, which is even more serious,” he added.​

Responding to PM Modi’s appeal for austerity and his decision to reduce his own security, Sapkal said that every citizen and their security are important, just like the Prime Minister’s.​

“India has lost two Prime Ministers to assassinations, so the Prime Minister’s security is important. However, the Bharatiya Janata Party is politicising even the issue of security,” he said.​

He added that he himself does not travel with a convoy of vehicles, often undertakes padyatras, and uses public transport like ordinary citizens.​

Reacting to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis calling the opposition “mindless”, the Congress state President said that Fadnavis seemed to believe that all intelligence belonged only to him, the Bharatiya Janata Party, and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, and therefore he insulted everyone else by calling them “mindless”.​

“This arrogance has been part of their mindset for years,” he added.​

–IANS

sj/dan

​