23 June,2026 12:27 PM IST | Mumbai | Ronak Mastakar
Pic/Special Arrangement
Opposition parties intensified their attack on the Maharashtra government during the ongoing monsoon session of the state legislature, staging a protest on the steps of the Vidhan Bhavan on Tuesday against rising prices and the recent increase in LPG cylinder rates.
Leaders and legislators of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) gathered outside the legislature complex and raised slogans accusing the government of failing to control inflation and increasing the financial burden on households.
The protesters alleged that rising prices of essential commodities and cooking gas were affecting families across the state, particularly women and lower-income households.
During the demonstration, Opposition MLAs raised slogans including, "An inflation-free nation, a BJP-free India," "The government that is forcing our beloved sisters back to cooking on traditional stoves," "Reduce inflation or vacate your chairs," and "The public is suffering, while the government is getting richer."
The protest marked the latest in a series of demonstrations by Opposition parties during the monsoon session, with inflation and farmers' issues emerging as key points of confrontation between the ruling alliance and the Opposition.
The agitation over inflation comes a day after Opposition parties staged a similar protest on the steps of the legislature demanding a comprehensive farm loan waiver.
The demonstration on Monday was led by Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Aaditya Thackeray and Ambadas Danve, along with Congress leader Satej Patil. Opposition legislators accused the government of imposing restrictive conditions that could prevent many farmers from benefiting from the recently announced loan waiver scheme.
"The farmers should get complete loan waiver. The government should implement it," the protesters demanded.
The Opposition has consistently argued that the scheme should provide broader relief without what it describes as technical hurdles and eligibility restrictions.
The Maharashtra government has announced a major farm debt relief package, but Opposition leaders claim several conditions attached to the programme could exclude a significant number of eligible farmers.
Earlier this month, NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar also protested against what he termed stringent provisions in the scheme and called for a blanket farm loan waiver.
Opposition leaders have maintained that the state's agrarian distress requires wider relief measures and easier access to government support.
On June 2, the Maharashtra cabinet approved a Rs 36,585 crore farm loan waiver scheme aimed at benefiting nearly 56 lakh cultivators across the state.
The programme, named the Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Shetkari Karja-mukti Yojana, provides loan waivers of up to Rs 2 lakh and consists of three components - loan waiver, one-time settlement (OTS) and incentive benefits.
The government has clarified that there will be no landholding criterion for eligibility under the scheme.
Under the loan waiver component, farmers with outstanding short-term crop loans, including principal and interest, of up to Rs 2 lakh will be eligible for complete debt relief. The loans must have been disbursed between April 1, 2019, and March 31, 2025, remained overdue as of September 30, 2025, and remained unpaid until March 31, 2026.
Farmers whose outstanding dues exceed Rs 2 lakh will be covered under the one-time settlement component of the scheme.
Under this provision, borrowers will first have to clear the amount exceeding Rs 2 lakh. Once that payment is made, they will become eligible for a waiver of up to Rs 2 lakh.
The government has set March 31, 2027, as the deadline for such farmers to deposit their share of the outstanding dues and avail themselves of the benefits.
With both inflation and farm distress dominating discussions during the monsoon session, the Opposition is expected to continue pressing the government on these issues in the days ahead.
