'Anti-farmer remarks': MVA seeks Union Minister Danve's scalp

Mumbai: A day after Union Minister Raosaheb Danve alleged that Pakistan and China were behind the farmers' protests in Delhi, Maharashtra's ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and farmers leaders on Thursday demanded he should be sacked from the Union Cabinet.

At a meeting in Jalna on Wednesday, Danve, a former Bharatiya Janata Party state President, among other things, proclaimed: "This is not a farmers' agitation. Pakistan and China have a hand behind it."

The statement sparked off a huge row with the Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress and several farmers' leaders slamming Danve for his statements and demanded he should be "kicked" out from the cabinet by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"If he has such information, then the government should act on it and carry out a 'surgical strike' on these countries. The President, Prime Minister, Home Minister and the chiefs of the armed forces must discuss this issue seriously," Shiv Sena MP and chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut said.

Attacking Danve and the BJP-led NDA, Raut said that "the government is not interested in solving the issue, and if it wanted, the protests would have ended by now".

NCP national spokesperson Nawab Malik and state spokesperson Mahesh Tapase also demanded Danve's removal from the cabinet for his statements.

"The farmers agitation is inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's call for Civil Disobedience in 1930 and now they are exercising their constitutional right to oppose the draconian anti-farmers bill," said Tapase.

He said it is absolutely shameful that the NDA that the farmers have lost their trust in the NDA government which remained "blatantly indifferent" to their plight.

Malik said: "The government should learn from history where dictatorial regimes have been overthrown by agrarian revolutions across the world."

In a direct attack, Congress state spokesperson Sachin Sawant said: "Danve must be kicked out" for his anti-farmer remarks and insulting those who provide food to the whole country.

"It is a sign of autocracy when a government starts naming its critics and opponents as 'anti-nationals' and democracy is under danger under the Modi regime," he said.

Noting how even in the past, Danve had mocked farmers and now he and the "arrogant" BJP are trying to link them with Pakistan-China, Sawant asked that if they are anti-national, "then why the government is holding talks with them?"

Minister of State Omprakash B. Kadu, alias Bachchu Kadu said last time he had laid siege outside Danve's home, and warned that "now, the situation is such that we will enter his home and beat him up" for his anti-farmer utterances.

All India Kisan Sabha leader Ajit Nawale and Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana President Raju Shetti targeted Danve saying the government is not bothered about resolving the farmers' issue and attempting to create divisions by such "irresponsible and insensitive statements" by a central minister.

Malik and Tapase said that when NCP President Sharad Pawar was Union Agriculture Minister in the UPA I & II, he always insisted on higher MSP which in turn yielded higher food production that helped the country's food security concerns.

"The UPA's policies increased the financial earnings of farmers, but today the agriculturists are worried about loss of earnings with the 3 new farm laws which throws them at the mercy of the corporates," said Malik added.