Undeclared emergency in Maharashtra, alleges Devendra Fadnavis

Opposition parties, on Sunday, boycotted the customary tea meeting with the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi government, citing its failure on all fronts and being egoistic and arrogant. Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Devendra Fadnavis alleged that undeclared emergency exists in Maharashtra. Those speaking against the state government are being jailed.

Fadnavis, who was accompanied by the Leader of Opposition in the state council Praveen Darekar, said that one cannot speak, be it a journalist or a common man, against the government.

“If one speaks against the government, he/she will be involved in a fake case or you will be jailed. The Supreme Court judgment in the Arnab Goswami case and Bombay High Court judgment in the Kangana Ranaut case is a slap on this government's face. We do not agree with all the statements of Arnab Goswami or Kangana, but the way they were treated and the way the court pulled the government’s action. This government has no face to show today," said Fadnavis.

“This is the government’s situation today. Instead of improving from this, they have got an ego in them. I believe that such an egoistic government cannot function anywhere. We will answer in an appropriate manner. We will struggle for the people and their rights,” noted Fadnavis. He further claimed that the MVA government was arrogant and working with ego.

Fadnavis cited the MVA government’s decision to shift the Metro 3 car shed to Kanjurmarg from Aarey Colony was taken out of ego and it would delay the commissioning of the Metro corridor by four years.

Opposition parties also blamed the state government for the SC stay on Maratha quota.

Fadnavis claimed that the corruption in Maharashtra amidst the COVID-19 pandemic was quite depressing. “Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray says that the government has succeeded in curbing the virus, but the highest number deaths have been recorded in Maharashtra. Though the number of patients is still increasing. Why is the government patting its own back?’’ he said. Fadnavis reiterated that BJP will not topple the government but said it will fall because of internal contradictions.

The party will stage agitation if the government touches the OBC quota.

Fadnavis, at the party office bearers meeting, warned that BJP will launch an agitation if the state government will touch the OBC reservation in order to accommodate the Maratha community quota. He wanted the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress to clarify their stand, especially when the ministers from both parties were issuing threats against the government over the OBC quota.

“While giving reservation to the Maratha community, we (BJP-led government during 2014-19) had included a clause so that the reservation of OBCs would not be affected. The Supreme Court has stayed the Maratha reservation. But no suspension was given to this clause. We protected OBC reservation through this clause,’’ said Fadnavis.

He reiterated that BJP will not accept the state government touching the OBC quota to give Maratha reservation, which has been currently stayed by the apex court.