Violating the age-old norm of keeping religious identities and party politics out of names of government schemes, Shiv Sena’s Transport Minister Divakar Raote on Friday announced five schemes that included the titles used by the party for their late founder, Bal Thackeray: ‘Hinduhridaysamrat (King of Hindu hearts) and Shivsenapramukh (Shiv Sena chief) Bal Thackeray’.
The Minister announced five schemes, all preceded with those titles: Kanyadan Yojana (Rs 1 lakh for the marriage of a girl in the family of an MSRTC worker); an accident insurance scheme (for passengers as well as State transport workers); a new super-specialty hospital in Pune for State Transport workers; and a scheme to ensure auto permits for widows of farmers.
He also announced a new automobile engineering college, and a new air-conditioned sleeper coach service, Shivshahi Bus Scheme, that will ply between Marathwada, Vidarbha and Konkan.
Announcing this a day before the birth anniversary of Sena founder Bal Thackeray, Mr Raote defended the names saying, “This is how people of the state knew Balasaheb Thackeray.” When asked whether naming government schemes over religious and political identities contradicted the secular and democratic nature of the government, Mr. Raote refused to answer the questions, only adding that the names would not be changed.
The Opposition criticised Mr Raote, saying the decision was not only against the Constitution but also against the principles of democracy. Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said, “Nobody will object to naming the scheme [after] Bal Thackeray. But using religion in the government scheme’s name is uncalled for. This is unconstitutional. Is the government machinery working at the behest of the Sena?” Mr Sawant said adding the party’s name showed the Sena’s desperation to grow as a political force in the rest of Maharashtra.” The previous Congress-led government had announced schemes named after the Nehru-Gandhi family, but none of the schemes had party names or those of any religion, he added.
The schemes will be launched on January 23, in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Sena president Uddhav Thackeray.
This is how people of the state knew Balasaheb Thackeray
Divakar Raote,Transport Minister