Maharashtra Elections 2024: Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh Accuses BJP Of Neglecting State's Onion Farmers

New Delhi: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended election rallies in Dhule and Nashik on Friday, the Congress asked him “why were Gujarat’s white onion farmers given preferential treatment over Maharashtra’s onion farmers?”

Party general secretary Jairam Ramesh wrote in a post on “X” that since December 2023, onion farmers in Maharashtra have been reeling due to the restrictions on onion exports imposed by the Modi government.

He said, “During the cultivation season, the state suffered from unsatisfactory rainfall and water crises, and most farmers were only able to produce 50% of their usual crop and when the onions were finally harvested, farmers were hit with the arbitrary export ban which led to devastatingly low sale prices. As a result, farmers racked up significant losses.”

Ramesh argued, “The Union government allowed the export of white onions which are primarily grown in Gujarat. Maharashtra’s farmers, who primarily grow red onions, were left out for months. Even today, while the onion export ban has been lifted, a 20% duty on exports remains in place.”

Therefore, the Congress leader asked the PM to explain why he played favourites – by neglecting Maharashtra’s onion farmers while privileging the concerns of Gujarat’s onion farmers.

The Congress also charged that the BJP diluted Adivasis’ forest rights in Maharashtra. It claimed that while in 2006 its government had passed the revolutionary Forest Rights Act (FRA) which granted Adivasi and forest-dwelling communities legal rights to manage their own forests, and economically benefit from forest produce they collect, the subsequent BJP government obstructed the implementation of the FRA, depriving millions of Adivasis of its benefits.

He also raised the issue of the Mahayuti not holding elections to the Nashik Municipal Corporation and termed it a “blatant attack on democracy and the rights of Nashik’s citizens.” He added that “the government claims that the delays are due to issues like OBC reservations and ward delimitation but the reality is that the Mahayuti was afraid of facing the electorate, fearing that a loss would undermine its image before the elections this year.”