Diksha Lalita Devanand Karhade
News Editor
Date 21 July 2025, Pune
Bahujan Samaj Party’s State General Secretary, West Maharashtra Zone Chief In-charge Dr. Hulgesh Chalwadi demanded the resignation of the ‘Ramibaaz’ Agriculture Minister who rubs salt in the wounds of farmers and wipes leaves in their faces in the name of help.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should show Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate, who is insensitive towards farmers, the way home and give justice to Baliraja, Dr. Chalwadi insisted. Dr. Chalwadi also claimed that the developments in the legislature in the past few years have created an atmosphere of distrust against the rulers. The BSP has demanded the removal of inefficient ministers from the state cabinet.
In the first quarter of 2025, i.e. between January and March, as many as 767 farmers committed suicide in the state. The figures show that an average of more than eight farmers commit suicide every day. In 2024, 2,635 farmers committed suicide, while in 2023, 2,851 farmers committed suicide. In the last ten years, more than 37,000 farmers have committed suicide in the state. The state needed a sensitive agriculture minister to pull the farmers out of the pit of despair. However, due to the insensitivity of the current agriculture minister, the face of the Baliraja is being wiped clean, said Dr. Chalwadi.
Even before this year’s monsoon, unseasonal rains and stormy winds have damaged more than 29,000 hectares of agriculture in the state. Farmers in Nashik, Jalgaon, Akola, Amravati and Marathwada regions are facing major difficulties due to these disasters. The state government has ordered a panchnama of the damage and has announced financial assistance.
However, given the increasing trend of farmer suicides, there is a need for long-term solutions more than just financial assistance. If the hands responsible for formulating such policies are engaged in playing rummy, then who should the farmers look to? Dr. Chalwadi raised this question.
