Shinde appeals for simple Navaratri celebrations, urges that money saved be used to help drought-hit farmers

Mumbai, Oct 1 (UNI) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has appealed to people, Shiv Sena functionaries and social organisations to celebrate the upcoming Navratri and other religious and cultural festivals in a simple manner and divert the money saved towards helping drought-affected farmers. In a post on X, Shinde said the state's farmers were facing a difficult situation as inadequate rainfall had damaged crops in several areas. "The rain has betrayed us this year and nature has unleashed its fury. Crops have withered and standing crops have bowed down at several places," he said. Shinde said thousands of farmers…