The Opposition on Sunday criticised Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for continuing with his political campaign despite many parts of the State being flooded due to incessant rains.
State Congress campaign committee chief and former MP Nana Patole asked Mr. Fadnavis to return to Mumbai and control the situation, warning that if he failed to do so, Congress workers would storm into Mantralaya and take charge of the disaster control room.
“At a time when many parts of Maharashtra are facing risk from floods, Mr. Fadnavis is busy in his five-star political campaign using public money. The State machinery is busy hosting the CM at various places, and as a result, citizens are living in constant fear of losing everything to the floods. The Chief Minister should have handled the flood situation instead of going on a political campaign,” he said.
Mr. Patole said Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Nashik, Navi Mumbai, Raigad, Sangli, Kolhapur and Pune are in grave danger owing to rising river water levels. “The State government should immediately call it a natural calamity and sufferers should be distributed relief money through State Disaster Relief Fund,” he said, adding that a Congress delegation will be visiting the Chief Secretary on Monday.
Leader of Opposition in the Council and Nationalist Congress Party leader Dhananjay Munde, too, censured Mr. Fadnavis, calling his political campaign insensitive. “Who will save the people of Maharashtra? The ruling party is busy organising tours and campaigns with an eye on election. The administration is being run through tours,” he said.
The government, however, said the CM and Chief Secretary are monitoring the situation and relief operations. “Directions have been issued to district collector offices to ensure relief operations are conducted wherever needed. The district administration has been given the powers to take decisions. We are monitoring everything and the CM is being informed of every action,” said an official from the Chief Minister’s Office.
