Ahmednagar: Ashok Vikhe Patil, the elder brother of former Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Maharashtra Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, on Sunday announced an indefinite hunger strike from Monday near the statue of his grandfather late Vitthalrao Vikhe Patil at Loni in Ahmednagar.
However, within hours of announcing his decision to sit on fast, Ashok postponed it saying the district administration has assured him of doing the needful. Ashok said he wanted the state government to investigate “irregularities” committed by Radhakrishna, his wife Shalini, and son Sujay by not paying the FRP to sugarcane to farmers.
He also alleged that Radhakrishna received funds from a trust run by controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, who is wanted by the NIA and ED in various cases. “Radhakrishna, Sujay and their family members run three cooperative sugar factories. They have not paid the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) to cane growers,” he alleged.
Ashok, a businessman by profession, said as per rules, sugarcane factories must pay Rs 2550 per tonne to farmers but the factories run by Radhakrishna and kin paid only Rs 1800. “Farmers have not yet received payment for the cane sold to these factories since the last one year,” he alleged. In a statement issued late night, Ashok said.
