Farm leader Raju Shetti calls off padyatra to support Jarange Patil

Speaking to The Indian Express, Shetti said he had called off his yatra near Islampur in Sangli district, to support Jarange Patil, and would take a call on resuming it only after taking stock of the situation in the next few days.

“I was getting a rousing welcome in every village I went to, with people hiring cranes to shower flowers on my path. However, it did not seem appropriate to enjoy such a welcome while Jarange Patil was fasting,” he said.

Asked if he would go to Jalna to meet Jarange Patil, Shetti said he would soon decide. While Shetti is from the minority Jain community, it is Maratha cane growers who make up the greater number of his followers.

Shetti had embarked on his yatra to highlight exploitation of cane farmers by sugar mills. His yatra was to cross three cane-growing districts of Kolhapur, Sangli and Satara. This was Shetti’s outreach before the next general election, where he intends to contest from Hatkanagale in Kolhapur district. Shetti had twice represented the constituency before being defeated by Sena’s Dhairyasheel Mane in 2019.

The ongoing Maratha agitation for reservation has seen many political leaders being boycotted by villagers. While NCP MLA Rohit Pawar cancelled his Yuva Samvad Yatra, Union minister Bhagwat Karad was shown black flags by protesting Maratha youths. Protesters even waved black flags at Congress leader and former CM Ashok Chavan at the launch of Bhaurao Chavan Cooperative Mill in Nanded.