Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
Former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray should take a good look at himself in the mirror and if he does, he wouldn’t organise such protest marches, said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday evening, while speaking to the media at the airport.
Fadnavis alleged that during Thackeray’s tenure as Chief Minister, he had announced a loan waiver of ₹20,000 crore, but not a single rupee actually reached the farmers. Fadnavis was in the city to attend a meeting of Marathwada region office bearers at Aurangabad Gymkhana on Jalna Road.
Fadnavis said, “ Before Thackeray came to power, our government too waived off ₹20,000 crore in farm loans. So his announcement wasn’t anything new or extraordinary. In fact, he had also promised to provide ₹50,000 per farmer into their current accounts, but nothing was given. In contrast, when the Mahayuti government came to power, 16 lakh farmers received subsidies.”
He further added, “ The current government has announced a ₹31,000 crore relief package, out of which ₹21,000 crore will go directly into farmers’ bank accounts. We are giving more aid to farmers than Thackeray’s so-called loan waiver. In addition, ₹6,000 from the State and ₹6,000 from the Centre is also being given. Separate funds for crop insurance are being provided.”
“During Thackeray’s tenure, damage was done, but how much compensation did he really give? If the figures are checked, it will be clear whether he has any moral right to lead a protest. He is creating commotion just to keep the party alive,” said Fadnavis.
In reply to a question relating to Congress state president, the chief minister said, “Who is Harshavardhan Sapkal? People in his own district don’t recognise him. So why should I reply to his allegations?”