MUMBAI: Thousands of farmers, walking on foot for the past two days, from various districts of Nashik covered nearly 180 kms to reach Mumbai to participate in a rally held at the Azad Maidan today.

The farmers affiliated under the banner of All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) have taken out the ‘kisan yatra’ to express their solidarity with the farmers agitating near Delhi for the past 60 days and also to register their protest against the Centre's three new farm laws .

After the rally, the farmers were scheduled to meet the state Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to give him a petition on the farmers protests in Delhi, however they claimed that Koshyari cancelled the meetings with them at the last moment. A claim that was disputed by the Governor’s office who said that the farmer leaders were informed in advance that Koshyari would not be available.

The rally was addressed by AIKS leaders like Dr. Ashok Dhawale and Prakash Reddy, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and state ministers Jitendra Awhad and Jayant Patil, Maharashtra Congress state president Balasaheb Thorat, Mumbai Congress chief Bhai Jagtap, CPI leader Narasayya Adam and Abu Azmi who were present on the state.

Speaking at the rally Pawar slammed the Modi government over the ongoing farmers' protest and said that those who are in power have no affection for the farmers. Pawar was very aggressive as he said, "The Prime Minister has not once bothered to enquire about the farmers protesting for the last 60 days on the outskirts of Delhi, he has not even shown any concern. What does it show? Are they not our farmers? Do Punjab farmers belong to Pakistan?”

Accusing Modi of being indifferent and insensitive towards farmers he said, angry farmers could bring down any governments. "If all political and social powers have come together against the BJP in the country, I am sure that the Modi-Shah government will collapse," he said.

Pawar also slammed Governor Koshyari, saying that he has not seen such a governor who had time to meet Kangana but not to meet the farmers.

The third partner of the state’s ruling party, the Shiv Sena however chose to stay away and, after committing to send some top leader, they finally send only Rahul Londhe, a journalist-turned Yuva Sena functionary as its representative to the rally.