Senior BJP leader and Maharashtra cabinet minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Friday condemned the use of black flag protests during leaders’ visits to flood-hit areas in the state, reported the PTI.
Bawankule warned that such demonstrations would not be tolerated and hinted that action could be taken against those involved.
Speaking to reporters in Maharashtra`s Amravati, Bawankule said, “If anyone wants to convey their concerns, I am open to accepting representations. But showing black flags is not the correct way. If this continues, we will be forced to respond accordingly,” according to the PTI.
The statement comes as various regions of Maharashtra, particularly Marathwada, have suffered extensive crop loss and devastation due to heavy rainfall since September 20, impacting lakhs of farmers.
Bawankule assured that no affected farmer would be excluded from the compensation process.
He said that BJP workers had been directed to ensure that every farmer whose crops, livestock, or homes were damaged is accounted for in the ongoing damage assessment.
The minister also acknowledged issues with the e-KYC (electronic Know Your Customer) system due to technical server problems and confirmed that the information technology, agriculture, and revenue departments were coordinating to expedite the process, as per the PTI.
Responding to media queries about senior officials attending a dance event while Dharashiv district faced flooding, Bawankule said that he had requested a report from the revenue divisional commissioner and that appropriate action would follow upon review.
On the political front, he dismissed NCP (SP) MLA Jayant Patil’s demand for an annual grant of Rs 50,000 for flood-affected farmers, branding it as mere rhetoric.
He contrasted it with what he described as genuine relief efforts under the leadership of Devendra Fadnavis, stating, “When Uddhav Thackeray was Chief Minister, he had all the power but failed to fulfil his promises.”
However, Bawankule urged political parties to refrain from blame games during a time of crisis, stressing that the government’s priority was to provide immediate relief to distressed farmers.
Meanwhile, Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday demanded that the BJP-led state government provide Rs 50,000 per hectare and loan waiver to farmers from the PM CARES Fund.
(with PTI inputs)
