Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly Devendra Fadnavis on Sundayaccused the MVA government of preparing a strategy to ensure there is no debate on its performance during the budget session of the state Legislature which begins on Monday. Addressing a press conference on the eve of the 10- day budget session, Fadnavis said the BJP boycotted the meeting of the Legislature's Business Advisory Committee on February 25 since it had decided that there will be no debates and calling attention notices during the House proceedings.
The state budget session is normally held for six weeks, but in view of the current COVID-19 pandemic situation, it has been curtailed. Fadnavis claimed the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA-comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress) government is "directionless" and has failed on all fronts.
"Its single-point agenda is corruption in transfers of IAS and IPS officers," he alleged.
He said the BJP will publish a booklet on "corrupt practices" in Mumbai while dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the state government has cancelled the customary tea party on the session's eve due to the pandemic. "The political meetings of the Congress and NCP are allowed during the current situation. The Shiv Sena's show of strength is okay.Only what is not allowed is the tea party and the Shiv Jayanti celebration (wherein curbs were imposed earlier this month)," he said.
Fadnavis also targeted Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Rathod, who resigned as state cabinet minister on Sunday after facing flak from the opposition BJP over his name being linked to a woman's death. "Despite evidence in the form of video and audio clips, there is no FIR against Rathod. I will not blame Rathod, but the higher ups for shielding him," he said, without naming anyone.
The police official conducting the probe into the case should be immediately suspended, the BJP leader said. Fadnavis said NCP minister Dhananjay Munde also faced accusations from a woman. Even though the woman has withdrawn the allegations, the issue has not ended, he claimed. "We are of the opinion that the proposed Shakti Act for crime against women is a farce. There is no action against ministers involved in cases of crime against women. Is the law different for ministers?" he asked.
The condition of cotton and soybean farmers in the state is "extremely bad". There is no procurement of farm produceand even the loan waiver scheme is not operational as of now, he claimed. Targeting the government over complaints of high electricity bills received by consumers in the state, Fadnavis said 3.5 lakh power connections have been cut and notices for default in payment has been sent to 75 lakh consumers.
The Shiv Sena, which heads the ruling alliance, talks of pride and self-respect over the issue of boundary dispute with Karnataka, but why is it not showing the same pride and self-respect over the BJP's demand for renaming Aurangabad as Sambhajinagar, Fadnavis said.
Fadnavis further said he will ensure all central help to the state government in the legal battle in the Supreme Court over the Maratha quota issue.
