To put up a show of unity, the Maha Vikas Aghadi partners – the Shiv Sena, NCP and the Congress – on Saturday held a joint media interaction and appealed to citizens to support the Maharashtra bandh organised on October 11. The bandh has been called to protest against the violence at Lakhimpur Kheri wherein four farmers died. Essential services are exempt from the bandh, which will begin from Sunday midnight.
Shiv Sena MP and chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut, NCP chief spokesperson and state minority affairs minister Nawab Malik and Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee chief spokesman Sachin Sawant demanded the resignation of Union minister Ajay Mishra. Raut said his party will join the bandh with full strength and claimed that it will be “100 per cent successful”.
Claiming that the bandh will expose the inhumanity of the Centre and awaken people against the BJP, Raut said, “NCP chief Sharad Pawar has already appealed to the people to participate in the bandh.” He said he discussed the issue with Rahul Gandhi in Delhi and it was decided that the other non-BJP states should follow Maharashtra in organising peaceful state bandhs. He said the people are shaken, further asking how the minister’s son is moving freely.
Malik said the bandh is to extend support to the farmers and hoped that traders and members of the public will voluntarily support it.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis said the parties in Maharashtra should not indulge in politics over an unfortunate incident to gain benefit.