Tweet
Cotton stir intensifies
The cotton growers, supported by the Opposition BJP, Shiv Sena, MNS and RPI (A), intensified their agitation in various parts of Vidarbha and Marathwada regions on Saturday, even as the condition of the fasting independent MLA Ravi Rana deteriorated.
The rasta rokos, organised by the BJP in support of the cotton farmers, brought the traffic on various roads and State highways in several places of Marathwada and Vidarbha, to standstill for several hours. The agitating cotton growers are demanding `6,000 per quintal as minimum support price for raw cotton as against the current rate of `3,300 per quintal.
State BJP president Sudhir Mungantiwar led several thousands of party workers in staging a rasta-roko on the Nagpur-Hyderabad national highway no. 7 near Butibori.
Senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde, party MLC Pasha Patel and scores of party workers staged a road blockage near Latur in Marathwada region, while leader of the Opposition in the State Legislative Council Pandurang Phundkar (of the BJP) and his supporters resorted to rasta roko at Khamgaon.
Talking to media persons at Butibori, Mungantiwar said the BJP-led Opposition would focus on the issue of cotton growers in the winter session of Maharashtra Houses beginning at Nagpur on December 12.
“We will not allow the proceedings in both the Houses till the DF Government announces the increased support price for cotton, soyabean and pulses”, the State BJP chief said.
