Won’t let drought-hit farmers face black Diwali, vows Eknath Shinde

Mumbai: Dedicating

Shiv Sena’s annual Dussehra rally on Tuesday to the state’s drought-affected farmers, deputy chief minister

Eknath Shinde said the state govt and his party are firmly behind them and will not let them face a black Diwali.

“Farmers have the greatest right over the state’s treasury. We will ensure they receive relief and the Rs 5,000 interim payout. Many trucks full of ration have already been dispatched. They should not lose hope,” said Shinde, addressing his party at the Nesco ground in Goregaon.

He said farmers have the first right over him and he will work for them “till the last drop of my blood”. He said Prime Minister

Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah had also ensured their strong support to the state’s farmers.

He asked shiv sainiks to work 24x7 to ensure farmers receive help and to go to fields with saffron flags on their shoulders. “We are giving 25,000 sewing machines and cycles to women. Now, we will organise mass weddings for the children of farmers,” he said. He also claimed that the state had provided Rs 60,000 crore to farmers.

Shinde said the opposition is jealous of him, whether he was in London or on a visit to a village.

“Whether I speak in Marathi or English in the British parliament or go to London, Delhi or a village, they get a stomach ache,” he said in a likely dig at Shiv Sena (UBT). He was referring to the Commonwealth Public Leadership Award and the Statesmanship Award he received in the UK last month.

Criticising the opposition for protests against alleged vote theft, he said, “The biggest vote theft was in 2019 when [undivided] Shiv Sena contested elections with BJP and then formed a govt as Maha Vikas Aghadi.”

Criticising INDIA, the central opposition bloc, he said it was a “10-headed Ravana” and should be destroyed. “They claim to be for the Constitution but they are anti-democracy,” he said.

Shinde criticised Congress MP and leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi for leading a march to Supreme Court to submit petitions seeking an independent probe into allegations of arbitrary use of power by chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and suspension of the special intensive revision process. “It was an insult to the institution and the Constitution,” said Shinde.

He also accused the opposition of trying to mislead the youth because it has lost its own following. “The opposition is creating chaos and is a traitor, but the public is wise and will not fall for this. This is not Nepal, Bangladesh or Pakistan,” said Shinde.