Patidar leader Hardik Patel attracted a lot of ire from the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghathana Party Chief Raju Shetty during the second week of July. Hardik’s act has raised a question mark on his credibility.
On July 15, Raju Shetty led organization had triggered an agitation to demand an increase in the minimum rate of milk paid to the farmers in the state of Maharashtra. Milk supply in several cities including Mumbai, Pune, was severely affected due to the protests.
Several milk producers from Gujarat also supply milk to various cities in Maharashtra. Thus, to stop the supply of milk coming from Gujarat, Shetty was assured help by Hardik Patel.
The Lok Sabha MP managed to get a good response from milk producers as well as farmers during his agitation. However, as per reported by several local newspapers, Hardik backed out during the unrest. Many milk tankers from Gujarat started entering Maharashtra and reached Mumbai via Palghar. Shetty was fumed to know that milk tankers from Gujarat were in the state and he had to personally sit at Palghar entry point toll plaza to send these tankers back. During the three days of agitation, he and his party workers also had to keep a vigil at various Gujarat-Maharashtra border points.
Shetty was fumed to know that milk tankers from Gujarat were in the state and he had to personally sit at Palghar entry point toll plaza to send these tankers back. During the three days of agitation, he and his party workers also had to keep a vigil at various Gujarat-Maharashtra border points.
The agitation was a success because the state government agreed to raise the minimum price of milk to Rs. 25 per liter for farmers from July 21. However, the question that remains unanswered is about Hardik’s betrayal.
Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghathana Party left the NDA in 2017 due to Modi Government’s failure in fulfilling its promise of implementing all the recommendations of Swaminathan Commission. Since then, the party chief has changed side and has joined the UPA. According to the “enemy’s enemy is our friend” theory, Hardik automatically became Raju Shetty’s friend. But his act of betrayal has indeed not gone down well.
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