Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Friday alleged that the BJP-led Centre had given preference to onion farmers from Gujarat over those from Maharashtra, cheated the tribals over forest rights and ignored civic polls in Nashik. .

The jab came on a day Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to campaign for the upcoming Assembly elections in DHule and Nashik in Maharashtra.

The Congress leader has been targeting the prime minister ever since Modi gave an interview declaring that he felt his energy was not biological.

“The non-biological PM is in Dhule and Nashik today,” Ramesh began his post on X (formerly Twitter), and hurled three questions for Modi:

“Why were Gujarat’s white onion farmers given preferential treatment over Maharashtra’s onion farmers?

“Since December 2023, onion farmers in Maharashtra have been reeling from the Modi Sarkar’s restrictions on onion exports. During the cultivation season, the state suffered from unsatisfactory rainfall and water crises, and most farmers were only able to produce 50% of their usual crop. When the onions were finally harvested, farmers were hit with the arbitrary export ban which led to devastatingly low sale prices. As a result, farmers racked up significant losses. To add insult to injury, the Union Government then allowed the export of white onions which are primarily grown in Gujarat. Maharashtra’s farmers, who primarily grow red onions, were left out for months. Even today, while the onion export ban has been lifted, a 20% duty on exports remains in place. Can the non-biological PM explain why he played favourites? Why did he so callously neglect Maharashtra’s onion farmers while privileging the concerns of Gujarat’s onion farmers?”

His second question was: “Why has the BJP diluted Adivasis’ forest rights in Maharashtra?”

He added: “In 2006, the Congress had passed the revolutionary Forest Rights Act (FRA) which granted Adivasi and forest-dwelling communities legal rights to manage their own forests, and economically benefit from forest produce they collect. The BJP government, however, has obstructed the implementation of the FRA, depriving millions of Adivasis of its benefits. Only 52% (2,06,620 claims) of the 4,01,046 individual claims filed have been granted, and land titles distributed cover only 23.5% (11,769 sq. km) of the 50,045 sq. km eligible for community rights. Why has the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra failed to provide Adivasi communities their rights?”

His third question was: “Why did the Mahayuti not hold polls to the Nashik Municipal Corporation?”

He called the Mahayuti government's failure to hold elections to the state’s municipal corporations, including the Nashik Municipal Corporation, as “a blatant attack on democracy and the rights of Nashik’s citizens.”

He added: “The government claims that the delays are due to issues like OBC reservations and ward delimitation but the reality is that the Mahayuti was afraid of facing the electorate, fearing hat a loss would undermine its image before the elections this year. Without elected representatives, Nashik’s citizens have struggled to get their voices heard and grievances addressed. Why has the BJP betrayed the people of Nashik?”