NEW DELHI: NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of indifference towards the farmers who have been protesting in the national capital for the last two months.
"Braving cold weather, farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have been protesting for the last 60 days. Has the PM enquired about them? Do these farmers belong to Pakistan?" Sharad Pawar said at a rally in Mumbai organised in support of farmers protesting in Delhi.
Pawar also hit out at the Maharashtra governor.
"You are going to Raj Bhavan to meet the governor. Maharashtra has never seen such a governor before. He has the time to meet Kangana (Ranaut) but not the farmers. It was the moral responsibility of the governor to come here and meet you," Pawar said.
The NCP chief said it was the "moral duty" of the governor to at least remain and receive the people of the state who are the 'annadaata' (food-givers), but he did even show the courtesy to remain in Raj Bhavan to accept their memorandum.
Meanwhile, governor Koshyari’s office clarified that the farmer leaders had been informed that he had a pre-arranged programme to address the Goa assembly and and that the principal secretary would receive the delegation.
Pawar's acidic remarks came after he was informed that the Governor is not in the state and has reportedly gone to Goa, putting a question mark on the plans of the Samyukta Shetkari Kamgar Morcha leaders to submit the memorandum.
Farmers from various districts of Maharashtra gathered today at Azad Maidan in Mumbai in protest against the farm laws.
After the rally, the farmers and leaders took out a procession to Raj Bhavan to submit a memorandum to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
However, the procession was stopped by the police.
The agitation is part of the all-India 3-day action launched since Sunday in all states to express solidarity with the farmers in Delhi demanding a complete repeal of the 3 farm laws, terming them as 'anti-farmer', said AIKS general secretary Dr Ajit Nawale.
The ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi allies Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress joined the Samyukt Shetkari Kamgar Morcha (SSKM) Mumbai rally.
(With inputs from agencies)