Jarange Patil asks Shinde why he told BJP leaders he gave him Rs 500 crore

Maratha agitation leader Manoj Jarange Patil has challenged Eknath Shinde. Speaking on several issues at a Dussehra rally, he asked: "Eknath Shinde sahib, why did you tell BJP leaders that you brought Rs 500 crore from the BJP and gave it to me through Shrikant Shinde?" Jarange Patil said Shinde should answer today or by tomorrow evening.

According to Jarange Patil, Shinde told lies about him to BJP people in Delhi. He said Shinde must immediately answer whether or not he told BJP leaders that Rs 500 crore was delivered to Manoj Jarange Patil through Shrikant Shinde. Jarange Patil said BJP leaders in Delhi have begun whispering about this.

He asked: "Did you give me Rs 500 crore? If you did not give the money, does the BJP want to finish me off? Is the BJP finishing you off?" Jarange Patil said Shinde should reply at this evening's Dussehra rally, or if not today, by tomorrow morning. In his words: "Shinde sahib, I want an answer to this."

Jarange Patil said he would now dig into the matter and find out the truth. He also said that if he were to say tomorrow morning that Marathas should each put in Rs 100, Rs 2,500 crore would be collected, which was no small matter. He warned Shinde that he and Shinde would face each other again after the next three months.

In his speech, Jarange Patil also spoke about farmers. He said everyone must fight this battle for farmers together. According to him the situation is dire and will be more dire in two months. He said that if anyone asks for water, give them water, and people should not sit back and watch each other's plight. He said he would call farmers' organisations and agriculture experts together so that farmers' problems could be resolved. He demanded assistance of Rs 1 lakh per hectare for farmers.

The government has announced assistance of Rs 5,000 for farmers. Jarange Patil said farmers would have to run around government offices to get this aid. He calculated that if they had to make rounds for eight days, spend Rs 2,000 on petrol and another Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500 on food, little would be left in hand. He used this calculation to target Eknath Shinde.

He also spoke on the government's economic policies. Jarange Patil said: "We paid the GST and their bungalows grew bigger. Today a crisis has hit the state. If you are men, you will stand behind the farmers. A terrible crisis has come upon us." He also said the condition of the state's farmers is grave and that he has made five key demands to the government.