Congress MLA Nana Patole was suspended for a day from the Maharashtra assembly’s monsoon session on Tuesday after he climbed Speaker Rahul Narvekar’s podium and also abused Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a heated debate over the Fadnavis government’s refusal to waive farmers’ loans and its decision to discontinue crop insurance.
This led the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) to boycott proceedings of the legislative assembly for a day in protest against Nana Patole’s suspension from the monsoon session for a day.
“This may be the first time in Maharashtra’s history that someone has been suspended for raising their voice against the humiliation faced by farmers. The misfortune of Maharashtra is that this government is not for farmers, but is sitting on our heads with the blessings of the Election Commission. The BJP has shown today that it can sit in the ruling benches by insulting the farmers without fulfilling any promises made to them. Therefore, we have boycotted the proceedings of the legislative assembly for a day to protest against Nana Patole’s suspension,” Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena MLA Aditya Thackeray said.
The ruckus in the House began after 62-year-old Nana Patole, former Speaker of the Maharashtra assembly and ex-president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC), who represents the Sakoli constituency in Bhandara district, demanded action against BJP MLA Babanrao Lonikar and Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate for “insulting” farmers.
Patole pointed out how Lonikar allegedly told a gathering of farmers in his assembly constituency in Partur of Jalna district that “people who criticise his party (BJP) and government should know that they are getting clothes, shoes, mobile, monetary benefits of schemes and money for sowing because of us”.
Agriculture Minister Kokate had also allegedly claimed that farmers spent their loan waiver money on weddings. “One rupee is something even beggars don’t accept, yet the government is giving crop insurance for that sum, which is being misused by some persons,” Kokate had allegedly said.
Immediately after the question hour, Patole demanded action against BJP MLA Babanrao Lonikar and Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate for insulting farmers. Patole reached the podium and began arguing with Speaker Rahul Narwekar.
Referring to statements made by Lonikar and Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate, Nana Patole demanded that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis apologise in the House.
“BJP MLA Babanrao Lonikar and Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate are constantly insulting farmers. Farmers will not tolerate this insult. The Chief Minister should apologise to farmers in the House. Modi may be your father, but he cannot be the father of the farmers,” Nana Patole said.
Speaker Rahul Narvekar asked Nana Patole to desist from using unparliamentary words, but Nana Patole began talking loudly. After this, the House was adjourned for five minutes.
When proceedings resumed, the opposition started raising slogans like “Apologise, apologise, apologise to the farmers of Maharashtra”, even as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis lashed out at Patole. Fadnavis said that Patole had moved aggressively towards the Speaker, which is not right, and hence, he must apologise.
However, Patole climbed the Speaker’s podium and demanded action against Lonikar and Kokate, after which Speaker Narwekar announced that he was suspending Patole from the House for the entire day.
After Patole was suspended from the assembly session, he strongly condemned the incident and demanded an apology from Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis. In a post on X, Patole wrote, “We will not tolerate insults to farmers. The Chief Minister should apologise! The continuous insults to farmers by leaders of the Mahayuti are highly condemnable. The statements made by BJP MLA Babanrao Lonikar and Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate have hurt the sentiments of farmers. The Chief Minister should publicly apologise to farmers in the House for insulting farmers. BJP MLAs and ministers claim that PM Modi is the messiah of farmers, but PM Modi cannot be the messiah of farmers. The way farmers are being insulted is this why they were brought to power? Ever since PM Modi formed the government, the suicide rate of farmers has increased. We will continue to fight for farmers”.
Patole stated that he would not stop criticising the government even if he is suspended every day for raising his voice for farmers. ““BJP is anti-farmer. Today, farmers in Maharashtra have been devastated due to unseasonal rains. Crops have been destroyed. These people are not waiving off farmers’ loans. Crop insurance has been stopped. We will raise our voice against the government every day. We will not stop even if we are suspended every day. We will raise the issues of the farmers again tomorrow. We will not sit still until action is taken against Lonikar and the Agriculture Minister, as well as make the Chief Minister apologise to farmers,” Patole said.
“This government can give any reason for the suspension. If there was even a little bit of fear in the government, the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister would have taken action against Lonikar and the Agriculture Minister for continuously insulting farmers. But the Chief Minister brought it on record that I had insulted the Speaker. I have also been a Speaker. I also know the rules. If the Speaker ignores the questions of the people and suppresses the voice of the opposition, the opposition has to take this stand. The Chief Minister says I have insulted the Speaker, but we do not need the Chief Minister’s certificate. I am a farmer. If anyone insults our farmers, we will not tolerate it,” Patole said.