Union minister Ramdas Athawale on Monday said there was no need of a farmers' march in Mumbai in support of peasants protesting near Delhi

Mumbai: Union minister Ramdas Athawale on Monday said there was no need of a farmers' march in Mumbai in support of peasants protesting near Delhi against the Centre's three new farm laws, and claimed it is being done only for "publicity".

The central government is on the farmers' side and ready to give justice to the peasants, he asserted.

Ramdas Athawale

However, the NCP, an ally of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government, accused Athawale of insulting farmers by calling the protest in Mumbai as a "publicity stunt", and asked him to apologise to all the peasants.

Thousands of farmers from across Maharashtra have reached Mumbai to participate in a rally in the state capital on Monday against the Centre's three new farm laws and to support farmers bodies agitating near Delhi over the issue.

Athawale noted that the Supreme Court recently stayed the implementation of the three new farm laws, and the Centre has also proposed to suspend the legislations for two years.

Farmers' protest

"This march (in Mumbai) is not at all required because the Supreme Court has stayed the implementation of the Acts.

Athawale said there was a need to stop the agitation after the government took a "positive" view of the issues flagged by farmers.

"The farmers should listen...they should stop the agitation," he urged.