Maharashtra CM Fadnavis-led delegation to meet Amit Shah over onion crisis on May 27

Mumbai: Amid the deepening onion crisis and intensifying protests by farmers and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), a Maharashtra delegation led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is expected to meet Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Wednesday to discuss possible relief measures and long-term solutions for onion growers.

The delegation is likely to include Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, along with senior ministers and bureaucrats.

The meeting comes against the backdrop of falling onion prices in Maharashtra’s key producing regions, especially Nashik district, where farmers have alleged that market rates have crashed far below production costs despite government procurement efforts.

“We are holding a meeting with the Central government tomorrow, and efforts will be made to find long-term solutions,” Fadnavis told reporters in Mumbai after the weekly Cabinet meeting.

The Chief Minister said the Centre had recently increased onion procurement prices by Rs 3.50 per kg, taking the rate to nearly Rs 15 per kg, while large-scale procurement operations had also begun.

“Both the state government and the Central government are continuously intervening in the onion market,” he said.

However, the opposition has intensified pressure on the government, accusing it of failing to protect onion farmers from price crashes.

Referring to protests led by the opposition, Fadnavis said, “Some leaders are making political agitations over the onion issue. Those people whose eyes never filled with tears even after cutting onions are now trying to shed tears.”

“But I want to clearly say that the MahaYuti government is trying to work sensitively on the onion issue,” he added.

Targeting protests in Nashik, Fadnavis described the agitation as “mainly a photo opportunity”.

In Nashik district, the MVA staged a major protest against procurement prices by blocking the busy Mumbai-Agra National Highway in Chandwad town. Police later detained several protesters after traffic was disrupted and some agitators allegedly attempted to deflate tyres of stranded vehicles.

The protest was led by opposition leaders including Rohit Pawar, Ambadas Danve and Harshwardhan Sapkal, who took out a rally on bullock carts before being detained.

Sapkal alleged that onion farmers were getting only Rs 200–300 per quintal for their produce and blamed both the Narendra Modi-led Central government and the Maharashtra government for the crisis faced by growers.

“We will not remain silent until onion farmers get a substantial Minimum Support Price,” he said.

Rohit Pawar warned that farmers would intensify their agitation if no concrete decision emerged from Wednesday’s meeting with the Centre.

“This struggle of onion farmers will not end so soon. If no concrete decision is taken, farmers will again take to the streets and escalate the agitation,” he said.