Maharashtra farmers’ march | Live updates: Agitators to lay siege at Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai

Over 35,000 farmers from across Maharashtra, who embarked on a ‘Long March’ from Nashik on March 6 to press their various demands, arrived in Mumbai on Sunday.

Apart from the Opposition parties, the Shiv Sena, a partner in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition, has also vocally supported the agitation.

The state government reached out to farmers, promising to meet their demands, but farmers’ leaders said they will press on with the protest at Vidhan Bhavan on Monday morning.

Here are the live updates:

9am: Medicines are being distributed to farmers who are currently at Azad Maidan. In a while, they will start their march to Vidhan Bhavan.

8.50am: Comrade Arjun Ade, chairman of Maharashtra Rajya Kisan Sabha, said: “My brothers have been walking for four days now, from Nashik, Solapur, Sangli. Now, there are more people coming by morning trains from all over Maharashtra. The government makes big promises, but does not implement them. There is a GR for loan waiver, but our loans have not been cancelled. We demand that the GR be implemented today.”

8.45am: “There are about 75,000 farmers at Azad Maidan. We expect the number to reach 1 lakh before we march towards Vidhan Bhavan at noon,” says Shankar Shedam, joint secretary, Maharashtra Rajya Kisan Sabha.

8.20am: The farmers’ demands include a complete waiver on farm loans and fair prices for their produce.

8.10am: The farmers, led by Left-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), have reached Azad Maidan. They will proceed to Vidhan Bhavan later in the day.

7.50am: No road closure or diversions due to Farmers’ Morcha now: Amitesh Kumar, joint commissioner of police (traffic) told ANI.