Mumbai: Very late in the day, the Opposition parties, the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), have remembered the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi. With no strong issue to pin down the government, on the first day of the budget session on Monday, Congress-NCP leaders chided Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao for his association with the Hindu right-wing organisation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Rao had termed the RSS as ‘Sanghasthan’, the parent organisation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), while speaking at a public event on February 6, in Nagpur, which is also the headquarters of RSS. The opposition boycotted Rao’s joint address to both Houses, accusing him of promoting the RSS ideology. This is for the first time since 2014, that the opposition party members have boycotted the governor’s speech.
The members of the Congress, the NCP and other opposition parties entered the Vidhan Bhavan, shouting slogans like “Gandhi hum sharminda hai, tere qatil zinda hai,” (Gandhi, we are ashamed, your assassins are still alive) and carrying posters.
Later, they sat on the steps of the assembly, shouting slogans. Opposition party members stayed away from the Central Hall when the governor delivered his speech. They also alleged, the governor’s address had remained only on paper, as not a single assurance has been implemented by this government.
Despite the governor’s post being constitutional, which means that he cannot show affiliation to any political party or ideology. Rao has openly claimed to be an RSS activist. This raises doubts about whether his interest is for the benefit of the state or the RSS? Hence, we decided to boycott his address,” said Dhananjay Munde, leader of the opposition in the legislative council.
The NCP leader Jitendra Awhad said, “The BJP-Sena government has not implemented a single promise mentioned in the governor’s address in the last four years. Instead, they have only created an atmosphere of intolerance.” However, a senior BJP leader rubbished the opposition’s call to boycott the governor’s address. “They had already decided to boycott the address and just wanted an excuse to do it,” he said.
