Sharad Pawar Meets PM Modi; Raises Farmers’ Crisis And NEET Issue

Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, accompanied by Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his Parliament office on Wednesday and submitted a memorandum highlighting Maharashtra’s agrarian distress and concerns over the NEET-UG examination paper leak protests.

The meeting took place during the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament, a day after Pawar and Sule visited protesting students at Jantar Mantar.

In his memorandum, Pawar highlighted the impact of erratic rainfall, prolonged drought and administrative hurdles on rural communities. He stated that more than 2,700 farmers died by suicide across Vidarbha and Marathwada in a year, averaging one farmer death every three hours in Maharashtra.

Sharad Pawar stressed that farmers need guaranteed fair prices and transparent governance instead of temporary grants or loan waivers.

Pawar also sought streamlined digital verification to expedite compensation for affected families, an independent third-party audit of delayed irrigation projects and effective implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission in drought-prone regions.

Following his visit to Jantar Mantar, Pawar urged the Prime Minister to engage with students protesting alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG examination. He called on the government to address their demands with empathy rather than heavy-handed police action, saying peaceful demonstrators exercising their constitutional rights deserve an accountable administrative response.

The meeting also came amid the government’s efforts to secure two-thirds support in Parliament for the Delimitation Bill.

While the interaction fuelled speculation over possible parliamentary alignments, NCP (SP) leaders said the discussion remained focused on agricultural issues and public grievances.

The party’s eight MPs are considered significant for the Bill’s passage, and it has earlier indicated support could depend on a written assurance for a 50 per cent increase in seats across the board.

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