Shiv Sena’s ruling partners, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress, on Wednesday slammed the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for organising a state-wide protest on May 22 against the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government for its failure to effectively handle the coronavirus pandemic. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and veteran NCP leader claimed the BJP agitation was an insult to the warriors and citizens of the entire state.
Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president and Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat alleged it was not BJP’s Maharashtra Bachao Aandolan, but it was BJP Bachao Aandolan and a desperate attempt to destabilise the state government.
Pawar said it is a war against the virus and the state will win it with a united fight. “BJP should withdraw its agitation and wholeheartedly join in the war against coronavirus. I wondered whose brainchild was it to show black flags during the crisis,’’ he said.
Pawar, who holds the finance and planning department, said despite the increasing number of coronavirus patients, the government was working quite hard to curb the spread of the virus.
State NCP chief Jayant Patil criticised BJP for playing politics during the present crisis. He asked former CM Devendra Fadnavis not to frequently meet the governor and instead meet CM Uddhav Thackeray to cooperate with the government in fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Patil opposed Fadnavis' demand that Maharashtra government should announce a package on the lines of the Centre. ''Such an act will indicate lack of confidence against the Centre. Instead, the state government will thank the Centre if it soon releases pending dues,'' he noted.
