Import of sugar from Pak sparks protests

The import of sugar from Pakistan has sparked ire in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

The Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the two key Opposition parties and the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has expressed its opposition to sugar consignments imported from Pakistan.

"The BJP and the Shiv Sena regularly voices opposition against Pakistan...now are they going to distribute Pakistani sugar in houses," Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil of the Congress said.

At Shil Diaghar in Kalyan, Thane district, NCP workers led by MLA Jitendra Awhad protested against a businessman who had stocked sugar imported from Pakistan.

The NCP workers threw sugar out of the bags.

"Using Pakistan's name as a tool for hate politics is BJP's favourite agenda. The same BJP government now imports sugar from Pakistan and serves it in India destroying the sugar economy of India," he said.

MNS workers visited the Agriculture Produce Market Committee at Vashi in Navi Mumbai and warned the traders against distributing sugar.

"We have asked them to be ready for an MNS style protests if they sell Pakistani sugar," said Sandeep Deshpande, MNS leader.

"The Centre has imported sugar and that too from Pakistan. The domestic sugar prices are set to crash. We are against such imports of sugar...there is no need to buy sugar from Pakistan," said Gajanan Kale, the Navi Mumbai chief of MNS.

Meanwhile, Marketing Minister Subhash Deshmukh has clarified that the state government is looking into the matter and it will help sugarcane-growing farmers.

“Recently, the Union government took the decision of Rs 55 per quintal subsidy. It is ultimately benefiting farmers. So, we will find a way out and address other genuine and serious concerns of the industry,” he was quoted as saying.