BJP dubs Sanjay Raut's visit to Ghazipur border as politics of tokenism

Raut and Shiv Sena must understand that farmers' concern cannot be addressed by tokenism, Maharashtra BJP spokesperson Keshav Upadhye said

With Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut meeting farmers protesting at the Ghazipur border near Delhi, the BJP said it is an attempt to "stay relevant" in Maharashtra politics and "tokenism" to show solidarity with the farmers.

Maharashtra BJP spokesperson Keshav Upadhye told IANS: "Raut's visit to Ghazipur border has nothing to do with farmers but political drama. If Raut or his Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government is really concerned for the farmers then they should have helped them by fulfilling their demands."

"Raut and Shiv Sena must understand that farmers' concern cannot be addressed by tokenism," Upadhye said.

Earlier in the day, Raut reached the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh Ghazipur border to extend support to farmers and met BKU leader Rakesh Tikait. The Rajya Sabha member said that Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had sent him.

Taking a swipe at the Shiv Sena spokesperson, Upadhye said, "Raut and Shiv Sena has no time to meet farmers in Maharashtra, who are trying hard to tell their plight to the state government but for sake of politics he went all the way to Ghazipur border."

The Maharashtra BJP leader claimed that visit to Ghazipur is an attempt to cover up absence of top leadership of Shiv Sena during the famers gathering at Mumbai's Azad Maidan on January 25 which was attended by NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Maharashtra and Congress president Balasaheb Thorat among others.

"If Raut is really concerned about farmers, then why were the top leadership or Raut himself missing from the Azad Maidan event which was attended by their alliance partners? The Ghazipur border visit is an attempt to cover up their absence," he added.

Meanwhile, BJP national spokesperson R.P. Singh alleged that Raut and his party are using protesting farmers at Delhi's border for their political benefits.

"Shiv Sena and Raut are least concerned about farmers. Raut visiting Ghazipur and meeting Bharatiya Kisan Union leader after failure of Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra government to take welfare initiative for the farmers in the state where they have been ruling for over one year," he said.

Singh said that instead of politicising the issue and misleading farmers for their political benefits, the Shiv Sena and Raut must address the concerns of farmers in Maharashtra.

Singh said that if Raut and Shiv Sena are really concerned for the farmers then they must fulfill all the promises made to farmers along with their alliance partners -- Congress and NCP.

"The Maha Vikas Aghadi government must tell the initiatives taken to improve the condition of farmers in the state," Singh added.

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