Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis Rides Bike To Vidhan Bhavan, Opposition Calls It Symbolic Show

Mumbai: In a symbolic gesture to promote fuel conservation, Fadnavis rode a motorcycle from his official residence ‘Varsha’ to the Vidhan Bhavan in South Mumbai to attend the swearing-in ceremony of newly elected Legislative Council members. BJP leader and minister Ashish Shelar accompanied him on the ride. Reacting to the move, NCP founder Sharad Pawar said such austerity measures should not remain a one or two-day “show”, adding that people would take the exercise seriously only if leaders followed it consistently. Congress leader Varsha Gaikwad, meanwhile, targeted the Chief Minister after alleging that the Bullet motorcycle used for the ride had an expired Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate.

Addressing reporters later, Fadnavis said the state government had already initiated austerity measures by reducing ministerial convoys, curtailing unnecessary foreign tours and avoiding large-scale government events for the next six months.

“The Prime Minister has only asked people to make small sacrifices while himself taking very tough decisions. Countries across the world have adopted much stricter measures,” the Chief Minister said, accusing the Opposition of creating “unnecessary controversy”.

Fadnavis said he chose to ride a motorcycle to spread awareness about fuel conservation. “When leaders act symbolically, the message reaches the people,” he said.

The Chief Minister clarified that all avoidable foreign visits by ministers and officials had been stopped and efforts were underway to save fuel and foreign exchange. However, he said a major government programme scheduled in Satara on Friday would proceed as planned because expenditure had already been incurred. Around 25 lakh families are expected to receive benefits worth nearly Rs 10,000 crore under the Centre’s Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana during the event.

The austerity drive also saw Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar travelling in electric vehicles to Vidhan Bhavan and Mantralaya.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister’s motorcycle ride sparked a political controversy after Congress leader Varsha Gaikwad alleged on social media that the Bullet motorcycle used by Fadnavis had an expired Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate. Referring to Fadnavis’ earlier criticism of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as “expired maal”, Gaikwad questioned whether an “expired” vehicle was being used for political messaging.

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In response, BJP chief spokesperson Navnath Ban dismissed the allegations, claiming the vehicle belonged to the police department and had undergone servicing. He said renewal documentation was delayed due to temporary server issues and accused the Congress of spreading misinformation for publicity.

NCP founder Sharad Pawar also weighed in on the debate, cautioning ministers against “symbolic showmanship”. Pawar said genuine austerity should be reflected through long-term consistency rather than one or two days of public gestures. He further remarked that if the Chief Minister continued travelling by motorcycle regularly, people would take the message more seriously.

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