Shinde’s fodder camp remarks draw ire

Mumbai: Cabinet minister Ram Shinde has stoked a controversy with a remark on fodder camps. A video has gone viral of Mr Shinde where he was telling farmers impacted by water scarcity to shift their cattle to their relatives’ residences. The farmers were giving the minister a memorandum for a fodder camp in light of the drought-like situation in the state. The Opposition has demanded an immediate apology from Mr Shinde.  

The Central government has sent a team to review the drought in Mahara-shtra. The team was in Pathardi, Ahmednagar on Wednesday. Mr Shinde, being a guardian minister of the Ahmednagar, was at the site to welcome the team. During this visit, he was given a memorandum by a local leader and former corporator Rajesh More to start a fodder camp in the area.  In the video, Mr Shinde is seen telling Mr More and other members of the delegation, “If you don’t have water and fodder, then knot the cattle in relative’s home.”

Maharashtra is facing a severe drought. The state government has declared drought in 160 tehsils. In such condition, farmers and different organisations are demanding to the setting up of fodder camps. “This government is not helping farmers. It is not starting fodder camps. When farmers approach ministers, they crack jokes. This is the sensitivity of the BJP,” said Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant. He asked for an apology from Mr Shinde.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader Anil Shidore has also asked for an apology. “The government’s planning for the drought is poor. You can see this by visiting any drought-affected tehsil in the state. In such times, the government should rectify its mistakes. This not a laughing matter,” said Mr Shidore.

Nationalist Congress Party’s Shashikant Shinde said, “The government does not care about rural people.”