Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jul 30 (PTI) Ruling Shiv Sena MLC Bacchu Kadu on Thursday met Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke here, asserting he was visiting in his personal capacity and not as a representative of the government or his party.
“I came here as an agitator and met another agitator,” said Kadu, who is known for his protests to secure the rights of persons with disabilities (PwDs) as well as farmers.
Asserting that it was a personal visit, Kadu, however, said Dipke should be congratulated for the protest at Jantar Mantar.
“Government and political parties are a different matter, but Abhijit should be congratulated. We should stand with people who fight. I congratulated him,” he said.
Asked about Dipke facing threats, Kadu said BJP leaders should speak to those issuing threats and “behaving in the wrong way”.
Defending protests as a democratic right, Kadu said undertaking an agitation against perceived injustice was not a crime.
”If something wrong is happening, agitating against it is not an offence. I am also an agitator. If I don’t find something convincing, I will have to agitate against it,” Kadu said.
Those who are members of the House raise their protest inside the House, while those who are not protest on the streets, he added.
Commenting on Dharmendra Pradhan resigning as Union education minister, the MLC said attention should now be given to strengthening the examination system.
Kadu said the lack of industries, poor returns from agriculture yield and irregularities in recruitment leave young people with little option but to protest.
”The youth now see government jobs as an option. There is no industry, farmers are not getting remunerative prices for their produce. If jobs are not provided in a proper manner, agitations will take place,” he asserted.
On the issue of farm loan waiver, Kadu said the government had worked out a mechanism under which the state would bear the principal amount of eligible loans in nationalised banks, while the banks would waive the interest part.
”The government has imposed a haircut only for nationalised banks. The state government will pay the principal amount and the banks will waive the interest. That is why only the principal amounts are reflected in the lists sent to the banks,” he said.
Incidentally, Kadu’s party colleague and state minister Sanjay Shirsat had met Dipke’s family here this week.
The youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests at Jantar Mantar in Delhi concluded on July 25. Following intense demonstrations, police standoffs and a major march to Parliament on July 20, the agitation resulted in the resignation of Pradhan.
The CJP officially ended the protest after the government conceded to their core demands, which included educational reforms. PTI AW BNM
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