Ashok Chavan slams BJP for playing with sentiments of Maha people

Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president and former state Chief Minister Ashok Chavan on Thursday came down heavily on the BJP-led state government as well as the central government and made a series of allegations against them.

Addressing the media, he said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government played with the sentiments of the poor people of Maharashtra.

While challenging the saffron party, Chavan said if the BJP has done anything for the welfare of the state, then they should show it to the people.

He added that the BJP did nothing except cheating the people by making all the false and tall promises.

Attacking state Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, he said, "The present government in the state has played with the sentiments of lakhs of farmers in the name of loan waving scheme which has been unearthed today. So far more than 16,000 distressed farmers have committed suicide."

On declaring drought situation in 151 districts across the states, he said, "While declaring drought, the government had not issued any specific directions to district collectors as to how to tackle the situation in drought-affected areas and did not give them special powers or funds and could also be one of the election stunts," he added.

Expressing concern over the classification of severe drought and moderate drought was totally wrong and numbers of talukas were dropped from drought list is unfair, he said.

Taking about the Jansangrash Yatra, he said, "It reached in 18 districts with tremendous response and met numbers of affected farmers, peoples among others to expose the BJP government. People were totally unhappy with the present government policies and they want a reply from the government but, the state Chief Minister and his ministers could not face them due to unrest among the public."

Chavan also said that the Maharashtra government was one of the progressive states in the country from all aspect.

Talking about load shedding position in the state, he said that load shedding continues to increase at various districts in the state since the Maharashtra coal has been diverted in the election bond states.

"Though the BJP is claiming that it introduced a number of schemes in the irrigation sector including Jalyukat Shivar and others, but it was only corruption and benefitted the BJP and its ally - Shiv Sena contractors."

"The law and order situation in the state is becoming poor day by day," he added.