Shinde Criticizes Uddhav Thackeray for ‘Crocodile Tears’ on Farmer Woes
Maharashtra Dy CM accuses Thackeray of exploiting farmers’ pain.
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde unleashed a blistering attack on Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, accusing him of shedding “crocodile tears” to politicize farmers’ struggles. Speaking to reporters in Thane, Shinde ridiculed Thackeray’s rally in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, where the former CM demanded a complete loan waiver for farmers hit by devastating floods and heavy rainfall. “Those who never stepped out of their homes are now staging marches for farmers,” Shinde jabbed, dismissing the rally as a shameless grab for political mileage.
Shinde, part of the ruling Mahayuti coalition, defended his government’s track record, emphasizing its hands-on response to one of Maharashtra’s worst agricultural crises in years. “When floods destroyed crops, livestock, and homes, our entire cabinet—Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, and all ministers—toured affected areas,” he said.
Brushing aside National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) red tape, the government rolled out a hefty Rs 31,628 crore relief package. Farmers have already received Rs 10,000 in immediate aid before Diwali, with promises of Rs 48,000 per hectare for crop losses and up to Rs 3.47 lakh per hectare under MGNREGA for broader recovery.
Thackeray’s rally, Shinde charged, was less about empathy and more about exploiting rural distress for votes. “This isn’t love for farmers—it’s politics over pain,” he snapped, accusing the opposition of crying foul only when power slips from their grasp. The Mahayuti, he insisted, is about “solutions, not slogans,” with robust backing from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to ensure no farmer is left in the lurch. The state and central governments, Shinde vowed, are working in lockstep to deliver relief and rebuild trust.
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As Maharashtra’s November polls loom, this clash underscores a deepening rift between Shinde’s BJP-aligned Shiv Sena and Thackeray’s UBT faction. With farmers forming a crucial vote bank in rural strongholds, Shinde’s barb aims to paint Thackeray as an out-of-touch urbanite chasing headlines. Will voters buy the “crocodile tears” charge, or will Thackeray’s loan waiver call resonate in the fields? The battle for Maharashtra’s heartland just got fiercer.
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