Maharashtra govt declares drought, yet farmers lack relief: Supriya Sule

New Delhi: Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar's National Working President Supriya Sule on Monday slammed the Maharashtra government for failing to provide financial assistance to farmers despite officially declaring a drought in the state.

Addressing the media here, the NCP-SP MP raised serious concerns over agrarian distress, rising inflation, and shrinking democratic freedoms.

Sule criticised the state administration, stating that while the government has declared a drought, no concrete relief has reached the affected farmers. Pointing to soaring inflation, she questioned how ordinary citizens are expected to survive under the current economic pressures.

Highlighting police clampdowns in the national capital, Sule narrated an incident where a 14-year-old boy walking alone near Jantar Mantar was unlawfully restricted by police.

Referencing the boy’s citation of Article 144, she questioned why a lone minor was targeted, warning that India is steadily moving towards a state of unannounced emergency. She asserted that the moral standing of the ruling establishment has eroded. She noted that despite approaching constitutional authorities -- including writing to the Lok Sabha Speaker and appealing to the President -- the opposition has been denied justice.

Maintaining her firm stance on electoral irregularities during recent assembly and general elections, Sule challenged critics who question her victory: "If vote theft didn't happen, how do you explain missing voters? I challenge authorities to begin an investigation starting from my Baramati Lok Sabha constituency."

Highlighting specific data, Sule claimed that approximately 300,000 voters went missing across her Baramati parliamentary constituency, with around 250,000 missing from the Khadakwasla assembly segment alone. She demanded absolute data transparency, questioning how voter rolls fluctuated drastically between election cycles and asking whether these deletions were systematic.

Emphasising that resignations alone will not resolve structural crises, Sule called for systemic reforms and transparent dialogue. She noted that official data clearly points to surging unemployment, skyrocketing inflation, and glaring discrepancies in voter statistics, yet the ruling government refuses to engage in accountable discussions.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

IANS

[email protected]