Members of the National Congress Party (NCP) women’s wing sent rakhis made of toor dal to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to protest the drastic fall in pulse prices. Using the symbolism of Raksha Bandhan, they appealed to him to “protect” farmers suffering from unremunerative rates caused by excess imports and weak procurement. The protest drew attention to the economic struggles of pulse growers and called for immediate government action to stabilize prices and safeguard their livelihoods.