Two people taking part in the BJP's 72-hour hunger strike in Latur in Maharashtra had to be admitted in a hospital on Tuesday after their health showed some deterioration and they fell unconscious, while 21 of the 127 at the site indulged in head shaving to get the state government to take notice of their demands.
The protest started on Monday against the exclusion of Latur from the list of areas where farmers affected by crop loss due to recent heavy rains in Marathwada were to be given financial aid.
"The health of two farmers, Kashinath Garibe from Devani and Murlidhar Suryavanshi from Madansuri, deteriorated and they had to be hospitalised. More than 7,000 farmers are at the site of the protest to show solidarity," said former minister Sambhajirao Patil Nilangekar.
The BJP in the Latur district of Maharashtra, had earlier warned of agitation if the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government did not provide immediate relief to farmers adversely affected by heavy rains and floods last month.
Late last month, heavy water discharge from the Manjara dam in Marathwada following heavy rains in its catchment areas caused flooding in some villages of Beed, Latur and Osmanabad districts and destroyed crops and homes.As a result of heavy rains and floods, farmers in the Latur district have been severely affected and much of their crops have been washed away, causing huge losses to them, local BJP leaders said.
Dam water was released in rivers and canals without giving any prior notice to people residing in the affected areas, they said.
It was expected that the MVA government would provide immediate relief to affected farmers, but it has failed to do so, the leaders said.
(With agency inputs)
