Remarking that the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) had “no love left” for the people of Vidarbha, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday claimed that the Opposition parties had no intent to debate on serious issues afflicting Vidarbha and Marathwada regions.
Speaking during an event in Aurangabad district of Marathwada region on Sunday, Mr. Shinde said: “There should have been serious discussions during the Assembly session on Vidarbha and Marathwada. But their [the MVA’s] actions make it clear that they were not interested in it… We were fully prepared for discussions, but the opposition was not so disposed. They are only interested in playing politics only for the sake of it.”
Mr. Shinde was alluding to the MVA’s boycotting of the proceedings on the fifth day of Winter Session of the ongoing Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Friday.
The MVA was protesting against the suspension of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) State president Jayant Patil for the duration of the session. Mr. Patil was suspended after allegedly making a ‘derogatory’ remark against the Speaker, Rahul Narwekar, during the pandemonium over the ruling Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis dispensation MLAs demand for an SIT probe into the death of Disha Salian (former talent manager of deceased actor Sushant Singh Rajput).
The Assembly witnessed no less than eight adjournments on Friday.
The MVA, on its part, has accused the government of attempting to divert attention from critical issues and ‘shielding’ Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s alleged involvement in the Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) land allotment row.
“The Opposition’s claim [alleged NIT scam] has fallen flat on their faces…Ours is a people’s government. Our responsibility is to give everyone justice. We do everything in a transparent manner. The more the opposition criticizes us, the harder we will work,” Mr. Shinde said.
