Why doesn’t govt declare farmers shouldn’t enter Mantralaya: Cong

The opposition Congress on Sunday accused the BJP-led government in Maharashtra of harassing and illtreating farmers if they approach it with their grievances.

Taking a dig at the Fadnavis-led government, Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil said if it can’t resolve the problems of farmers, then it should bar them from entering the state secretariat ‘Mantralaya’.

He made the comments while participating in a discussion in the Lower House after Ajay Chaudhari (Shiv Sena) said in the Assembly that a farmer, Vijay Jadhav, who was to hold a protest in Mumbai against injustice to cultivators, was taken into custody by the police.

“This government arrests and thrashes farmers who approach it with their grievances. Why not just declare that farmers should not enter Mantralaya?” Vikhe Patil said.

The Sena MLA said that Jadhav was now participating in a protest at Azad Maidan in Mumbai on Sunday ‘under police observation’.

“The BJP-led government in Maharashtra had assured us that a probe will be conducted in a recent case of assault on a farmer from Marathwada, in Mantralaya. What happened to that probe,” Vikhe Patil said.

“Such incidents of assaulting farmers have become common. Police beat them and the government has to make a statement. Police should be told to behave courteously with farmers,” he said.

Speaker Haribhau Bagde said police should treat the farmers in a sensitive manner.

A three-day special session of the state Legislature to discuss and ratify the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill, 2017, to pave way for the national roll-out of GST on July 1, began Saturday. PTI

Lokmanya Tilak AC coaches derail

Hundreds of passengers aboard the Mumbai-bound Lokmanya Tilak AC Special had a providential escape when its 11 coaches derailed near Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao railway station on Sunday, officials said.

The coaches that derailed included a pantry car and all coaches from B2 to B11, but no one was injured, the police said.

Teams of Government Railway Police and Railway Protection Force have been rushed to the spot.

An official said the train, on its way from Lucknow to Lokmanya Tilak Terminus in Mumbai, was given a “run through” signal at the Unnao station when suddenly with a loud noise, 11 coaches tilted on one side and derailed. IANS