Mumbai : Even as troubles mounted for the Devendra Fadnavis government with a second colleague – Education Minister Vinod Tawde — coming under a cloud over award of a Rs 191 crore contract without inviting tenders, the CM formed a firewall for shielding the controversial minister from embarrassing media queries.
He also directed Sudhir Mungantiwar to be the spokesperson and defend the government and the minister, so that it is not seen to be talking in different voices.
The matter relates to the Education Department issuing a Government Resolution for purchase of 62,105 fire extinguishers for Zilla Parishad schools across the state without inviting tenders. The contract, cleared by Tawde, was put on hold after the Finance Department objected to it and sought a probe, official sources said.
As the controversy erupted in the media, top BJP ministers in the Fadnavis-led government rushed to defend Tawde, who maintained that there was no wrongdoing on his part. At a hurriedly convened press conference, Tawde was flanked by Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar and Co-operatives minister Chandrakant Patil.
Mungantiwar denied the entire allegation, taking refuge in the conspiracy theory, “It is a conspiracy against the government. We do not know who is behind it. But the Opposition is making a mountain out of mole hill.”
“Not a single rupee has been paid to contractors. We stopped the order immediately after the Finance Department raised objections,” Mungantiwar explained. “Our ministers are clean and they have a clear agenda to serve the people, they have not committed any corruption,” he said.
Though the BJP ministers came to the defence of a a beleaguered Tawde, the fault lines were visible yet again with Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant saying that both Tawde and Pankaja Munde should step down and face a probe.
“Had such an incident happened during Balasaheb’s time, he would have asked for proof against his minister. Had he prima facie found substance in the material given to him, he would have asked his minister to resign, face an inquiry and come out clean,’’ Sawant pointed out.
