As Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the ‘Kisan Swabhimaan Rally’ on Sunday in Bareilly, a large number of cotton farmers marched to the RSS Headquarters in Nagpur, threatening self-immolation. Several protestors were detained as they marched, protesting non-payment of dues by a buyer who they claimed is close to the Sangh.
Police intercepted the protesters from Seloo in neighbouring Wardha district and several protestors were detained on busy the Nagpur-Raipur highway.
As many as 400 farmers had on Saturday threatened to commit “self-immolation” in front of the RSS headquarters to protest the alleged non-payment of dues. Sunil Prabhakar Talatule – who owns Shrikrishna Ginning and Pressing Factory and is said to be close to BJP leaders – allegedly has unpaid dues to the tune of Rs. 8 crore. The farmers denounced the RSS and its Sarsanghchalak for allegedly shielding defaulter Talatule, who it is claimed has failed to make payment to over 400 farmers in Seloo.
The protests were led by the farmers’ wing of Congress and one of the affected farmers, Ram Narain Pathak. Tension prevailed in the area as a number of activists from Sangh parivar who had assembled at Badkas square a few metres from the RSS headquarters, also reached Chitar Oli and countered the farmers’ slogans.
The cotton farmers are demanding prices for their produce of about 20,000 quintals which they sold to the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee between November 2014 and May 2015, and which was in turn purchased by Talatule.
Pathak said they had previously met Union Minister for Transport and Shipping, Nitin Gadkari, in New Delhi and Maharashtra Finance Minister, Sudhir Mungattiwar, and urged them to intervene in the matter, to no avail.
With PTI Inputs
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