Dhananjay Munde: Farmer Dharma Patil's death is a murder by Maharashtra govt

The death of Dharma Patil is actually a "murder" committed by the Maharashtra government, Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde said here today. Patil (84), who had consumed a poisonous substance in Mantralaya in Mumbai on January 22 demanding better compensation for his acquired land, died last night. His death triggered a political firestorm against the ruling BJP.

"The treasury benches are making a (false) propaganda that the (land acquisition) case is pending from the time of the erstwhile Congress-NCP government. This is an attempt to cheat the people of the state," Munde said while addressing reporters here. Accusing the government of "failing" to act on Patil's demand in the last two years, the NCP leader said, "Soon after Patil's death, a minister called a press conference and declared that the concerned collector has been asked to re-evaluate Patil's land (in Dhule district). Why didn't they (government) do it earlier? Were they waiting for his death?".

Earlier in the day, State Tourism Minister Jayakumar Rawal said that the process of land acquisition had started in the year 2012. Munde alleged that the current dispensation had been blaming the previous UPA government so as to "hide its governance failure". "The issue of land compensation came to fore in the year 2015 under this government," the NCP leader said. Munde questioned the "Rs 1.89 crore compensation" given to the farm land adjacent to Patil, "despite it being not a good quality land". He said the NCP's hallabolo yatra would conclude in Marathwada region on February 3 in presence of the party supremo Sharad Pawar.

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