CM Devendra Fadnavis running mobocracy, not govt: Shiv Sena (UBT) in 'Saamana'

Shiv Sena UBT on Friday criticised Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis accusing his government of running a ldquomobocracyrdquo and raising allegations of largescale corruption in the MumbaiPune Expressway lsquoMissing Linkrsquo projectIn an editorial published in the party mouthpiece lsquoSaamanarsquo the Uddhav Thackerayled party criticised the Chief Ministerrsquos remarks against the opposition and questioned the governmentrsquos response towards those raising concerns about alleged irregularitiesThe editorial alleged that the cost of the lsquoMissing Linkrsquo project which was developed to bypass the ghat sections on the MumbaiPune Expressway had increased significantly from its initial estimateSaamana questions rise in MumbaiPune Expressway project costAccording to the editorial the original estimated cost of the 13kilometre project which includes two tunnels an eightlane road and two bridges was Rs 479755 croreEven with standard escalations it should not have crossed Rs 5500 crore However the final expenditure skyrocketed to Rs 7180 crore it saidThe editorial claimed that the project cost nearly Rs 540 crore per kilometre and described it as a world record in corruption It also questioned the quality of construction alleging that parts of the project witnessed leakage during the first spell of seasonal rainfallldquoIf someone does research on the corruption of this Missing Link they could easily earn a doctorate from Cambridge or Oxford University it remarkedParty criticises CM Fadnavis over Assembly remarksThe editorial also criticised CM Fadnavis over his alleged remarks directed at those questioning the governmentQuestioning our corruption defames Maharashtra I will deal with those who defame the state the editorial quoted him as sayingShiv Sena UBT objected to the language allegedly used against opposition leaders and citizens who questioned government decisionsThe party said the language of threatening or targeting critics was not appropriate in a democratic system and questioned the governmentrsquos approach towards opposition voicesAre you going to cut the tongues of those speaking against corruption or are you going to shoot them down like Karsevaks the editorial questionedShiv Sena UBT compares current leadership with former Chief MinistersThe editorial further alleged that money generated through corruption was being used for political activities including influencing elected representativesIt accused the current leadership of lacking the approach shown by previous Maharashtra Chief Ministers and referred to the legacy of leaders such as Yashwantrao ChavanThe editorial also mentioned former Chief Ministers including Vasantrao Naik Vasantdada Patil Sharad Pawar Vilasrao Deshmukh Manohar Joshi and Uddhav Thackeray stating that they understood the responsibility attached to their public statementsEditorial accuses government of weakening democratic valuesContinuing its criticism Shiv Sena UBT alleged that the current administration had damaged democratic practices in MaharashtraToday the state is not being governed a Champat Rai style cabinet is plundering Maharashtra If CM Fadnavis and his associates think they are flawless they are mistaken Their only major achievement has been running a government by purchasing MLAs and MPs for Rs 50 crore each This is a mockery of democracy the editorial concludedThe allegations come amid continuing political exchanges between the ruling alliance and opposition parties in Maharashtra