BJP-Sena combine can give justice to farmers: Thackeray

Beed, Feb 23 (UNI) Shiv Sena Executive President Uddhav Thackeray today said suicides by farmers was continuing for the last few years and only the BJP-Sena combine could stop this trend and come to the rescue of the beleagured farmers by waiving off loans if it came to power, Mr Thackeray was addressing the ''Karz Mukti Mela'', attended by thousands of people from Marathwada region at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Stadium.

Targeting the state and the central government over the issue, Mr Thackeray said ''Shiv Sena initiated the 'Karz Mukti' and it was followed by several other parties, who until now did not raise their voice on the issue.'' Cotton and sugarcane farmers and their family members are committing suicides but still the government is not reacting to the situation, he alleged.

Taking a dig at Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, Mr Thackeray said Mr Deshmukh doesn't care for the state and the nation as much as he takes care of his hair. ''The Ministers are senseless and therefore they should quit,'' he said.

Sena is on the roads for 'Sampurna Karz Mukti' (total loan waiver) and will definitely fight for it till the end, he said.

''Saffron is colour of God. Everybody should gather under it,'' he added.

Former Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi said, ''I feel sleepless when farmers attempt suicide. We need 'Karz Mukti', we need a crop-based insurance policy and Sena can make it possible.'' Sena Spokesperson Neelam Gorhe, MP Anant Gite, MP, party leader Gajanan Kritikar, MLA and Sunil Dhande also addressed the meeting.

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