Devendra Fadnavis: Shiv Sena was with us in last government’s decisions

Sparks flew once again in the state Assembly as Opposition leader Fadnavis blamed Shiv Sena for defaming the government it was part of

Devendra Fadnavis: Shiv Sena was with us in last government's decisions

Devendra Fadnavis

The Opposition once again seized the opportunity that came their way through the Maharashtra governor's speech on Wednesday to take a jibe at the three-party state government. It said that the government was directionless and unstable in view of many reasons including ideological differences.

"We, the BJP, would always consider Hinduhridaysamrat Bal Thackeray as our deity. Can anyone tell us whether the late Sena founder had been promised to make a Sena CM in association with the Congress and NCP?" Opposition leader in the Assembly, Devendra Fadnavis asked while referring to the Sena president's repeated statements that he had given his father his word about making a Shiv Sainik the party's CM. The decision ultimately led to the break-up of the partners who had fought the Assembly elections together. He said if the Sena had committed mistakes then it should not justify the follies with a political philosophy.

The BJP made it amply clear that it wanted to distance the Sena from the Congress and NCP, by teasing it over the ideological shift and compromises. BJP speakers indicated that they considered the Sena a natural ally that was bound to return to the saffron fold sooner or later.

Fadnavis said the governor's address to the joint sitting of the house was very brief and didn't outline the new government's long-term policies.

"It shows how the parties of different ideologies would run the government. This is the government that smacks of selfish gains and doesn't represent the public verdict that was in favour of the BJP and Shiv Sena," said Fadnavis, asking CM Uddhav Thackeray as to why he thought of going against the guidelines of his father late Bal Thackeray.

'Sena was part of last govt too'

Fadnavis said the CM himself had promised to give distressed farmers a relief of Rs 25,000 per hectare and assured that a decision to this effect would be taken in the very first cabinet meeting. "But look at the government which doesn't have the constitutional strength of cabinet members which should be at least 12. They haven't expanded the cabinet yet and affected governance."

The former CM said the government was trying to defame the previous government by fabricating the statement on state's total debt. "Don't give us unfounded reasons. The state's economy is still strong. The Sena was with us in whatever decisions we took in the previous government. And yet the Sena is being used by the Congress and NCP to badmouth the government in which the Sena was an integral part," he added. He said the government had stalled all major projects of the previous government without thinking that the delay would affect the people. Fadnavis said the government had three constituents which were sceptical of each other.

Thackeray is expected to respond to the debate on Thursday. But Fadnavis was given a reply by NCP leader Dhananjay Munde, who said the opposition leader's frustration was more on display than the concern of the people. He advised the former CM to avoid confronting Sharad Pawar who had made the khichdi sarkar possible.

"You will not understand Pawars even if you take 10 births. Pawar saheb is a thought," he said, adding that the corruption in the tendering of the Chhatrapati Shivaji memorial be probed.

Former finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar used humour, facts and figures to establish that the previous government was better in terms of delivery and governance. He emphasised that the Sena and the BJP were similar and there would be no stopping them if the two thought of coming together again.

Peace after two days

Wednesday's proceedings were peaceful after two days of ruckus and adjournments in the Assembly. The treasury and opposition benches decided to debate and transact some business over the next four days.

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