Maharashtra: Shiv Sena, MNS, AAP extend support to farmers’ march

The farmers, heading towards Mumbai, arrive in Mulund on Saturday night. Janak Rathod

While more than 30,000 farmers are marching towards Mumbai from Nashik, political parties including Shiv Sena, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have extended their support for the farmers’ agitation. The farmers “long march”, which reached Mulund on Saturday night, will reach Mumbai on Sunday. They have planned to gherao the state legislature on Monday against the government for the continuing distress in the state’s farm sector. Police authorities have, meanwhile, diverted traffic at various places in Thane and Mumbai due to the long march. While the Aam Admi Party (AAP) declared support for the protest stating that they will join the march on Sunday, MNS chief Raj Thackeray spoke to leaders of the protest and extended his party’s support.

READ : Farmers’ march in Mumbai: Traffic restrictions in place

On Friday night, senior Shiv Sena minister Eknath Shinde met leaders of the agitation and gave them party chief Uddhav Thackeray’s message to support them. “Sena, MNS, AAP and a few other social organisations have extended support to the long march and we have accepted it. Those who will come forward to support us, we will accept their support,” said Ajit Nawale, state general secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sabha, affiliated to CPI (M), which has called the farmers long march from Nashik. Earlier, the Peasants and Workers Party and CPI had extended their support to the farmers.

The demands of farmers include a complete farm loan waiver, transfer of forest land to tillers, and implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations.