It’s been two years since Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis took office.
Like his boss at the Centre, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr. Fadnavis was elected to office on the promise of development. It hasn’t turned out the way he might have wanted it, and with BJP’s ally Shiv Sena’s constant needling on various issues, controversies have not escaped him, including the piquant situation about the Hindi film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil which invited the ire of political parties because it has a Pakistani actor in it.
Maratha uprising
His latest challenge is the silent uprising of the dominant Maratha caste, to which there seems to be no immediate resolution. These difficulties have not pulled back Mr. Fadnavis from making grand promises, though, of development, a bright future and a stable government.
“Battling the State-wide drought in the last two years was the toughest part,” he said. “But we are happy that the State government could give a new water conservation model named ‘Jalyukta Shivar’.”
Mr. Fadnavis is unwilling to take the blame for what was widely termed as capitulation to Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).
He said he had assured adequate security for the movie’s release.
“They said the first week is when a film gets maximum business, and even if the government said it will provide security, movie-goers will feel scared, and it will impact our business,” Mr. Fadnavis said.
“The Producers’ Guild and the film fraternity indicated that they are ready to resolve if I mediate so that they don’t have to go to MNS.”
He added, “For the sake of law and order, we speak to the Hurriyat and Naxal groups. MNS is a political party, what’s wrong if we talk to them.”
(Full report at http://bit.ly/2ejvDAB)
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