Mumbai: The Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) President Nana Patole on Tuesday said that the party will meet Maharashtra Governor BS Koshyari after Diwali and demand the dismissal of the Shinde-Fadnavis Government, which he says has been insensitive towards farmers’ plight.

Patole claimed that the state government was dilly-dallying over the declaration of wet drought in Maharashtra following severe damage caused to crops due to the retreating monsoon and resultant floods.

Maharashtra rains: Help farmers or Congress will agitate, not allow ministers to move about, warns state chief Patole

‘’Congress party will launch state wide agitation after Diwali demanding the immediate announcement of wet drought by the state government. The party will meet the Governor BS Koshyari and demand the dismissal of the Shinde-Fadnavis government as it is anti farmers,’’ he said.

Patole also blamed the Shinde-Fadnavis government, which was formed on June 30, for the rise in farmers suicides in the state.

Patole’s demand comes when nearly 45 lakh farmers have been hit hard due to severe damage caused to the crops, because of the havoc created by the retreating monsoon and water logging in the fields.

Already, former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and leader of opposition in the state assembly Ajit Pawar have demanded that the state government should immediately declare wet drought and provide a much needed financial assistance package to the farmers.

However, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde took a dig at Patole’s demand and termed it ‘ridiculous.’ He announced that farmers would not be left in lurch.

‘’Today the government with a majority and strong support has been formed in the state. The government has taken 72 major decisions in three months in the interest of the state. In the recently held Gram Panchayat elections, BJP emerged on top by securing 397 seats while the Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena won 243 seats. The opposition keeps on criticising the government but we will respond to their criticism with work,’’ he said.

Shinde said that the district administration has been asked to conduct panchnamas (assessment) of the damage on a war footing.

‘’The farmers will get compensation whether or not they meet the criteria. Farmers will not be left in the lurch. This is Baliraja's (farmers) government. The government stands behind the farmers. We have given compensation which is many times more than the NDRF norms,’’ he noted.

Meanwhile, the Higher and Technical Education Minister and former state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil said that in a democracy, everyone has the right to meet the Governor.

‘’Mr Patole should happily go and meet the Governor, who is quite good and serves tea to everyone,’’ he taunted.