Mumbai: Shiv Sena executive president
Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday lashed out at the Maharashtra
Government for seeking Prime Minister Manmohan Singh`s
appointment to discuss the demand for increased procurement
prices for cotton, paddy and soyabean.
Talking to reporters here, Uddhav criticised Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh for not having time to listen to the
grievances of Maharashtra farmers. "When Prime Minister was
abroad, he had time to discuss the Kingfisher issue. Then why
is he silent on farmers` just demands?" he asked.
"Why do Maharashtra leaders want to go to Delhi to
seek permission to take decisions benefiting the common man?
Do they also seek their approval before indulging in
corruption?" Uddhav asked.
The minimum support price for cotton should be Rs
6,000 from the present Rs 3,300, he said, adding that aid
procurement centres for paddy have not been set up and farmers
cannot store their crop, because there are no godowns.
The Sena leader alleged that the delay in taking a
decision was deliberate, "to divert people`s attention from
the rampant corruption in the state administration."
Justifying the protests initiated by his party in the
cotton belt of Vidarbha, Marathwada and north Maharashtra,
Uddhav said, "If the government does not take decision by
November 20, our party will start a `kapus dindi` (cotton foot
march) till November 29 and I will lead the protest march in
the last phase."
When asked about Rahul Gandhi`s comments on migrants
in Maharashtra, Uddhav, without naming congress MP Sanjay
Nirupam, wondered why north Indian leaders, who had "boasted"
that people from UP and Bihar could bring Mumbai to a halt, if
they wished to, were silent on this remark.
PTI
