Jalna, Sep 22 BJP leader Raosaheb Danve on Tuesday defended the MPs, MLAs and officials who faced criticism after a video showed them eating cashews and almonds during a meeting to review drought and crop losses in Nanded district of Maharashtra.
Speaking to reporters here, Danve said politicians could not be blamed merely because refreshments were served to them during meetings or visits.
“People put things before us and then take a picture and raise an issue….When we go to someone’s house, they offer us a cup of tea and something to eat. People click pictures and make an issue out of it,” he said.
Meanwhile, a Nanded farmer’s video, where he is holding dried soybean plants and talking about the condition of his cop, went viral on Tuesday.
“Show me (how one can produce) one kilogram of soybean from 1.5 acres. We will collect donations and give you a quintal of cashews and almonds,” said Dabhad resident Atmaram Tekale in the video.
He also questioned the effectiveness of repeated inspection tours of officials and review meetings.
Farmers have nurtured their crops for months, only to see them dry up at a critical stage, he said.
“We have been left in the lurch while leaders are eating dry fruits in meetings,” he added.
(PTI News)
