Mumbai, Nov 8 (PTI) Maharashtra Water Resources Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil drew flak after one of his statements suggested that the “practice” of farmers taking loans and later seeking waivers had been going on for years.

“Form a cooperative, take a loan, get it waived… (become debt-ridden again and) keep demanding waivers. This has been the practice for many years,” Vikhe Patil said on Friday, while talking about the issue of agricultural indebtedness.

His comment received a backlash on social media and from farmer groups and the Opposition.

Farmer leader Ajit Navale of the All India Kisan Sabha hit out at Vikhe Patil, saying the minister had unfairly blamed cultivators instead of addressing the policies that had pushed them into financial distress.

“The farmers’ indebtedness i

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