Mumbai: Indicating an aggressive stance against Bharatiya Janta Party, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has directed his MLAs to disrupt the ongoing Maharashtra Assembly, demanding farmer loan waiver. Cabinet Minister and Sena leader Ramdas Kadam informed about this strategy on Monday.

“Uddhavji has directed us to keep demanding loan waiver to farmers in the assembly,” said Mr Kadam. “Sena will fight for farmers even on the road. At the ongoing session, we will not allow the House to function until state government declare complete loan waiver to farmers,” he further added.  

The Maharashtra Assembly has not been able to function for an entire week because of the united opposition from Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). On last Wednesday, Sena MLAs also joined in. Even Sena ministers participated in a protest held at Vidhan Bhavan. Interestingly, to counter the growing narrative over loan waiver, even BJP MLAs held separate protests at Vidhan Bhavan premises on the same issue.  

The state government will present its budget on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Congress, NCP and Sena MLAs demand loan waivers for farmers. However, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has maintained a clear position. “We are also of the opinion of giving relief to farmers through loan waiver. But before that, we need to see that the actual needy farmers get the benefits and not the banks.” Mr Fadnavis had said.