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Senior BJP leader and former Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha called off his agitation in support of farmers at Akola, following a call from Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday morning.
Sinha had been on a dharna at the police headquarters at Akola since Monday night pressing for seven demands for farmers in the state. He was detained by police on Monday evening along with 200-odd farmers from near the Akola Collector office. He was there on an invitation from a local organisation called Shetkari Jagar Manch.
“I got a call from the CM around 11.30 today. I persuaded him to accept two of the demands. Now, the state government will purchase the entire outstanding stock of moong, urad and soyabean from farmers through Nafed or any other state government agency. It will also compensate the farmers, who had done distress sale of their produce, by doing panchnamas and paying them the difference to match the minimum support price level,” Sinha told The Indian Express. “I am satisfied with the assurance and am calling off my agitation.”
“More importantly, the farmers in Akola have promised me that they will not commit suicide and approach the Shetkari Jagar Manch in case they have any problems,” Sinha added. He will catch a morning flight to Delhi from Nagpur on Thursday.
He was on Wednesday joined by Trinamool Congress MP and former Union Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi, specially sent by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to express solidarity.