Maharashtra farmers' protest enters day 3; state on edge
Farmers in Maharashtra have taken to the streets, blocking NH-44 as part of the 'Maha-Elgar Morcha' led by Bacchu Kadu.
Their main asks: full farm loan waivers, compensation for crops lost to unseasonal rains, Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops, and a monthly ₹6,000 allowance for people with disabilities.
The protest has drawn support from groups like the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), Kisan Sabha, and Raju Shetty's party.
Farmers demand immediate relief
Unseasonal rains have devastated crops across 29 districts—impacting over 6.8 million hectares and leaving many farmers struggling.
Suresh Chauhan, who lost his soybean crop, shared that delayed financial help is making it tough for families to even celebrate Diwali this year.
In response to mounting pressure, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced a ₹32,000 crore relief package and called for talks—but protesters want discussions in Nagpur instead of Mumbai and say they won't back down until their demands are met.
With local elections coming up soon, things could get even more heated in the days ahead.