The Shiv Sena has raised questions on the rath yatra, which is slated to be organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to highlight the achievements of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis-led government in Maharashtra. In an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamana, the Shiv Sena has pointed that farmers across the state are in distress, demanding that their issues must be resolved at first.

According to the editorial, farmers loan waiver has been the biggest announcement in the past four years of the BJP-led government in Maharashtra. It further said that though other work continued to happen during the regime of Fadnavis government, the farm loan waiver scheme did not see the light of the day.

The Shiv Sena said that farm insurance scheme for the farmers also got stalled. “What did people of Maharashtra get despite the announcement about reservation for Marathas,” the editorial added.

The editorial said that these issues were raised by BJP MP Sambhaji Chhatrapati, who had expressed his anguish over the issue slamming the announcement by the government.

The BJP ally feels that issues like farm loan waiver and Maratha reservation need to be resolved before organising the rath yatra. “The rath yatra will have to follow the path that development is taking in Maharashtra,” said the editorial.

Ram temple issue was also raked up in the editorial. “It has been 25 years since the Ayodhya rath yatra of Lal Krishna Advani, but lord Ram is still in exile.”

Referring to the recent visits of Shiv Sena leaders to Ayodhya, it said, “We are making frequent visits to Ayodhya and the hope of Ram temple being built is still alive. Wherever you will fall short, we will stand by your side to support you.”

Taking a dig at the proposed rath yatra, the Shiv Sena added that “such yatras start happening when the election is around the corner”.