Fadnavis slams Sena on farm laws, says it's a rudderless party

The Sena isa direction-less party that took a contradictory stand in LokSabha and Rajya Sabha on the three farm laws.

Senior BJP leader DevendraFadnavis on Tuesday termed the ruling Shiv Sena in Maharashtraa ''direction-less party'' which had taken a ''contradictorystand'' in Parliament on the three new farm laws, hours afterSena MP Sanjay Raut met farmer leader Rakesh Tikait atGhazipur protest site on Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border.

Speaking to reporters, the Leader of Opposition in theMaharashtra Legislative Assembly said the Sena was like a ''potwithout a flat base'' which never takes any firm stand on anyissue.

''The Shiv Sena can bend in any direction. The Sena isa direction-less party that took a contradictory stand in LokSabha and Rajya Sabha on the three farm laws. The Sena's standindicates its indecisiveness. The party cannot take properdecision on any issue,'' he alleged.

Fadnavis was reacting to Raut and other Sena membersmeeting leaders of protesting farmers at a Delhi border.

Raut met Tikait and other protesters off the stageafter reaching Ghazipur around 1 pm.

A major Hindutva ally of the BJP-led NDA till late2019, the Sena was one of the 19 opposition parties whichboycotted the President's address ahead of the Budget Sessionon January 29 and extended support to the farmers' agitation.

Thousands of farmers have been protesting at the Delhiborders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, demanding a rollbackof the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion andFacilitation) Act, 2020; Farmers (Empowerment and Protection)Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; andthe Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

The protesting farmers have expressed theapprehension that these laws would pave the way for thedismantling of the minimum support price (MSP) system, leavingthem at the ''mercy'' of big corporations.

However, the government has maintained that the newlaws will bring better opportunities to farmers and introducenew technologies in agriculture.