Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP Amol Kolhe criticized the Maharashtra government led by Eknath Shinde on Friday, accusing it of not effectively urging the Central government to revoke the ban on onion exports. Kolhe, who is at the forefront of a farmers' protest orchestrated by the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition, expressed his concerns during a meeting in Khadki, Pune.
The 'Shetkari Akrosh Morcha,' a three-day farmers' agitation, commenced at Shivneri Fort, the birthplace of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The protest is set to conclude at the collector's office in Pune on December 30.
While Shinde claims his government belongs to farmers, he and the deputy chief ministers have not raised the demand to lift the ban on onion exports, the NCP leader said. Kolhe said the Centre announced the ban at a time when farmers felt they would get a good price for their onion crop.
Onion producers have suffered losses to the tune of Rs 1,200 crore, but the one full and two doubtful government in the state cannot ask the Centre to reconsider the export ban, the legislator from Shirur said.
In a veiled jibe at Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Kolhe said those responsible for the political earthquake in Maharashtra have claimed that they had taken the stand for the sake of development.