Ahead of the statewide bandh announced on October 11 to condemn the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, the Maharashtra government on Saturday said that the bandh will start at 12:00 am of October 11 but no essential services will be affected by the strike.
Shiv Sena led ruling alliance comprising of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress today held a press conference today ahead of the statewide strike and made serious allegations against the central government and appealed to them to support the bandh. Nationalist Congress Party leader Nawab Malik said that the workers of the three parties which are allies in the Mahavika Aghadi government will on Sunday urge everyone to participate in the bandh.
He also said that during the strike, essential services involving medical facilities, hospitals and few more will not be affected. Malik alleged that BJP is not a party of farmers, it is a party of looting agricultural commodities, and so laws were passed for it but now it is also a party of killing farmers.
The bandh should be supported by all, shopkeepers should keep their shops closed, the repercussions of the Maharashtra bandh will be felt all over the country, activists of all the three parties will join hands and request the people to join the bandh, added Nawab Malik.
Further he also said that any other parties like CPI, CPI(M), Samajwadi Party and Farmers Association have also extended support to the statewide protest.
On the other hand, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said that all the three parties in the Mahavikas Aghadi will actively support the bandh but Sena will come down in full force. He also said that the nationwide agitation for farmers should begin from Maharashtra itself.
Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said that it is a disgrace to humanity to ram a car on the peaceful protesting farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri. Sachin Sawant alleged that the farmers were considered as enemies and that this role came from the arrogance of power.
Notably, two days ago, the state cabinet passed a resolution expressing regret over the death of farmers in the incident.
A statement from the Chief Minister's Office said the ministers stood in silence as a mark of respect and described the deaths as unfortunate.
Meanwhile, former State Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis speaking to the media said that the State government must be more worried about the farmers in Maharashtra who are suffering because of massive rains. Fadnavis said that farmers in Maharashtra are dying because of the government’s apathy while the government was busy politicizing the Uttar Pradesh violence.
