Maharashtra farmers’ march Live updates: Agitators’ delegation to meet CM Fadnavis at 1pm

Janjivan Bureau / Mumbai : Over 35,000 farmers from across Maharashtra, who embarked on a ‘Long March’ from Nashik on March 6 to press their various demands, arrived at Azad Maidan early on Monday. Apart from the Opposition parties, the Shiv Sena, a partner in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition, has also vocally supported the agitation.Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis says the minsters’ committee, led by him, will meet the farmers’ delegation at 1pm at Vidhan Bhavan.
The state government reached out to farmers, promising to meet their demands, but farmers’ leaders said they will press on with the protest at Vidhan Bhavan on Monday.
There is no question of compromise, says Nawale, who is at Azad Maidan. “This is not a political issue. The government must respect farmers. We have marched more than 100km and will go back only when all our demands are fulfilled.”
Water resources minister Girish Mahajan, also guardian minister of Nashik, says 80% of their demands will be met. The committee of ministers will meet once a week and ensure time-bound compliance of demands.
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The government is positive about all demands made by the farmers, the CM says, adding that the government had tried to persuade the farmers not to take out a march, but that they were determined. Girish Mahajan, water resources minister and guardian minister of Nashik, had met the organisers ahead of the march.
Ajit Nawale, state president of Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sabha, reaches Azad Maidan. “They have given us a time of 12 noon, and we will be at Vidhan Sabha at 12. If they try any tricks on us, we will start a hunger strike here at Azad Maidan. If anyone dies during that strike, it is Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ fault,” he said. “We will do gherao. If the police try to stop us, we will do a hunger strike at the spot we are stopped at.”
Senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar says that if the government had held a discussion with the farmers in Nashik, they would not have been forced to march 180 km to Mumbai. “The government will be responsible for any law-and-order situation as it has failed to handle the situation properly,” Pawar says.