In a dramatic turn during Maharashtra’s three-day legislative assembly session, Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) MLAs, led by Aaditya Thackeray, boycotted the oath-taking ceremony, citing allegations of electronic voting machine (EVM) tampering.

“We won’t take the oath today as a mark of protest against what we believe is a murder of democracy,” said Aaditya Thackeray, leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT).

The session, overseen by pro-tem Speaker and BJP MLA Kalidas Kolambkar, also includes the Speaker’s election and a trust vote for the newly sworn-in government led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar.

Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar echoed the opposition’s sentiments, calling the election results “tainted” and reflective of public discontent. The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance secured a sweeping victory with 230 of 288 seats, but opposition leaders remain unconvinced of the integrity of the electoral process.

Aaditya Thackeray further criticized the BJP for delaying the announcement of their chief ministerial candidate, labeling the move as undemocratic. “This delay and lack of transparency insult the people of Maharashtra,” he said.

Opposition MLAs also skipped the grand swearing-in ceremony held at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan on Wednesday, an event attended by PM Modi, Union ministers, and Bollywood and cricket celebrities.

The protest has added another layer of political drama to the newly constituted assembly, with the opposition vowing to fight for electoral reforms.

The protesting farmer unions, Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and Samyukt Kisan Morcha (non-political) (SKM-NP) decided to recall the group of 101 farmers who had been marching towards Delhi. This move followed after several farmers including leaders were injured by tear gas shelling from the Haryana Police. 

A group of 101 farmers began their march to Delhi at the Sambhu border, only to be halted a few metres away by a line of barricades. The Haryana police intervened, mentioning a prohibitory order under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), asking the farmers not to proceed further.

Farmers leader Sarwan Singh Pandher told a news agency that they have called back the jatha for today in view of the injuries suffered by a few farmers. Reportedly, farmers are marching to demand a legal guarantee for the minimum support price of crops.

Furthermore, the Ambala district administration has imposed a ban on any unlawful assembly of five or more persons. A group of farmers, holding union flags, pushed down the iron mesh set up by security personnel on the bridge over the Ghaggar River.

Also, mobile internet and bulk SMS services were suspended in 11 villages of Ambala district by the Haryana government on Friday, effective until December 9. The ban reportedly covers Dangdehri, Lohgarh, Manakpur, Dadiyana, Bari Ghel, Lhars, Kalu Majra, Devi Nagar, Saddopur, Sultanpur, and Kakru villages.

Farmers have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13, after security forces halted their march to Delhi. The group began its march at 1 pm, but after covering a few metres, they were stopped by a multi-layered barricade erected by the Haryana government.

The group while chanting Satnam Waheguru and carrying farmers’ union flags and essential items, the jatha crossed the first layer of barricades with ease but could not proceed further. Reports said that a few farmers pushed aside the iron mesh and barbed wire, while others uprooted iron nails from National Highway-44. Water cannon vehicles have also been deployed at the Shambhu border point.

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today told the Rajya Sabha that the Narendra Modi government would purchase all farm produce at the minimum support price. The Union Minister gave the assurances during Question Hour while responding to supplementary questions on the issue.

His statement also came on a day when farmers started a foot march to Delhi with a charter of demands, including legal backing for MSP. Shivraj Singh Chouhan told in the Rajya Sabha that he wants to assure the House that all produce of farmers will be purchased at minimum support price. He added that this is a Modi government and the guarantee to fulfil Modi guarantee.

Criticizing the Opposition members, the Union Minister said that when the other side were in power, they had said on record that they cannot accept the MS Swaminathan Commission recommendations, especially on giving 50 percent more than the cost of produce. Mentioning that he has the record, he cited former minister of state for agriculture Kantilal Bhuria, ex-agriculture ministers Sharad Pawar and K V Thomas to back his claim.

Following his remarks, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar asked him to place on record the documents to substantiate his claim, which Shivraj Singh Chouhan agreed to.

The Union Minister claimed that the Opposition had never honoured the farmers and never gave a serious consideration to farmers’ demands for remunerative prices. He said that he wants to assure the house that since 2019 Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided to calculate the minimum support price by giving 50 per cent profit on cost of production to farmers.

He further mentioned that the Modi government has been providing remunerative prices to farmers, adding that paddy, wheat, jowar, and soyabean have been purchased at 50 percent above the cost of production for the past three years. He also referred to interventions such as adjustments in export duties and prices whenever commodity rates decline.