The anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare has offered to hold talks on behalf of the agitating farmers with the BJP-led government in Maharashtra.
He has extended his support to the farmers strike, which entered second day on Friday crippling the supply of milk, fruits and vegetables in Mumbai and other cities.
Hazare’s move comes ahead of a meeting of a core committee of Kisan Kranti Morcha, which has organised the indefinite strike of farmers since Thursday. The committee has so far not accepted the Maharashtra government’s appeal to call off strike and hold dialogue.
Hazare, in a release issued from his village Ralegaon Sindhi in Ahmednagar district, said the farmers have spontaneously launched the agitation due to lack of response from the state government.
Farmers have run out of patience and taken law into their hands. ‘’I have already held talks twice with the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and I am prepared to mediate. The government needs to sympathetically look at the issues faced by the farming community and act for its redressal,’’ he said.
Hazare strongly justified the farmers strike saying that it was the right given to them under the Constitution of India. However, he opined that the agitation should not take violent turn but should continue in peaceful manner to flag off demands.
Meanwhile, farmers in large number hit the roads in various parts of the state to demand loan waiver and better price for agricultural produce among other things. Functioning of wholesale markets and agricultural produce marketing committee were severely impacted due to less arrival of fruits and vegetables. Similarly, farmers did not supply milk at the collection centres.
Already prices of vegetables have witnessed surge and the vendors say if the strike continues prices will further increase for want of sufficient supply.
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