After fighting for over a decade over issues like multi-crore mining scams, alleged land grabbing and diversion of river water for industrial use, the Opposition Congress and the ruling BJD have of late chosen the “farmers cause” to score a few political points over each other.
Orissa Pradesh Youth Congress president Pradip Majhi, who has been staging an indefinite strike in front of the Raj Bhavan here since Wednesday, demanding total waiver of crop loans and adequate compensation to the farmers by the state government, has announced that he would not desist from his agitation till the needful was done.
“Look at the BJD government how it is behaving. It is doling out land, mineral resources, forests and water to industrial houses. When it comes to saving the distressed farmers, it behaves miserly. This is high time the Naveen Patnaik government waivered all agricultural loans, tuition fees of school and college students,” Mr Majhi said.
BJD youth wing leader Sanjay Das Burma said the Congress was indulging in cheap politics instead of doing something to address the farmer’s problem.
“The Congress is shedding crocodile tears in the name of protecting farmers’ interests,” he said.