Maharashtra Opposition Declines Invitation to CM's Tea Meeting, Citing Farmer Distress and Dalit Atrocities

Nagpur, Dec 15 (NationPress) The opposition parties have opted to boycott the traditional tea gathering organized by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on the eve of a week-long winter session of the state legislature.

During a meeting this morning, the opposition representatives expressed that attending the tea gathering was futile given the increasing atrocities against Dalits, the deteriorating law and order situation—highlighted by the murder of a sarpanch in Beed district in broad daylight—and the government's neglect of distressed farmers.

The upcoming session of the Maharashtra Assembly is scheduled to commence on Monday and will run until December 21.

The leader of the opposition in the state council, Ambadas Danve, communicated this decision to CM Fadnavis in a letter, accusing the Mahayuti government of being a perpetrator of corruption and daylight murders.

After the opposition's meeting, he stated to reporters, "The government that allows murders to take place openly is still in power. The administration is anti-farmer and remains silent regarding the atrocities against Dalits. The government has failed to ensure fair prices for soybeans and cotton and has reduced milk procurement prices. This has severely impacted farmers. We will raise these critical issues during the winter assembly session."

Regarding the violence in Parbhani following the desecration of the Constitution, Danve, joined by Vijay Wadettiwar, Jitendra Awhad, and Sunil Prabhu, mentioned the death of Somnath Somvanshi, a young man arrested during a combing operation after the Constitution desecration incident. "While these incidents unfolded, CM Fadnavis was preoccupied with a procession and a felicitation event," he asserted. "Is the government paying attention to these events?"

The opposition further condemned the murder of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh from Beed district, revealing an alleged unholy alliance between the police and the perpetrator. It was claimed that the individual involved in Deshmukh's murder had connections to Dhananjay Munde, a former minister and current NCP(SP) legislator. State Congress chief Nana Patole accused those responsible for Deshmukh's murder of attempting to eliminate evidence.

Danve also pointed out the increasing drug menace, criticizing the government for failing to take significant action. He claimed that the Mahayuti government secured power through EVM manipulation. He noted that Markadwadi villagers were prohibited from conducting a mock poll as the administration filed cases against them.

“The people of Vidarbha had anticipated a three-week session with the new government led by a local CM. Instead, it will only last a week. There is no guaranteed price for soybeans or paddy, and the government has yet to fulfill its promises,” Wadettiwar remarked. He also mentioned that the government had not opened the soybean procurement centers.

Patole demanded clarity from the government regarding its commitments on the farmer loan waiver issue, which was promised during the state assembly elections.