Cong, NCP boycott CM's tea party on eve of Maha winter session

The Congress and NCP today boycotted a customary tea party hosted by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis here on the eve of winter session of the state Legislature and accused the BJP-Shiv Sena government of failing on all fronts.
The opposition leaders also reiterated that a scam of Rs 4000 crore has taken place in distribution of pulses in the state.
In a joint press conference, leaders of the NCP and the Congress accused the BJP-led NDA government of failing to rein in suicides by farmers.
"...There is a shortfall in revenue collection; malnutrition deaths are on rise, the crime rate is also on rise in state, particularly in Nagpur," said the Leader of Opposition in Assembly, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil of Congress.

He was echoed by other leaders including the Leader of Opposition in Council, Dhananjay Munde and former deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar (both NCP).
"The combined opposition has boycotted the customary tea party with Chief Minister (in protest against) the BJP-Shiv Sena government's failure on every front," said Vikhe Patil.

He said the saffron alliance of BJP and Sena had accused the Congress-NCP combine of "misrule" of 15 years when they came to power last year.
"However, within a span of one year this government has undermined 15 years of our work," the Congress leader told reporters after emerging from a combined meeting of the opposition parties.

Vikhe Patil said the government stood "fully exposed" in the pulses scam and "we have already demanded resignation of Food and Civil Supplies Minister (Girish Bapat)".
Alleging scam, the NCP had said that the BJP in April 2015 did away with restrictions put by the erstwhile UPA government in 2010 over stocks of pulses and oil seeds, which gave hoarders a free hand.
"When the UPA was in power, the then Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh had visited Vidarbha and met the affected families, and also announced a package-cum-loan waiver of Rs 72,000 crore for farmers.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi had held 'chai pe charcha' with farmers during campaigning for Lok Sabha elections last year, but he doesn't have time now to visit distressed farmers of the region," Vikhe Patil said.

He said the Congress will organise a morcha on the Legislative Assembly here on December 8 in protest against government's policies.
The Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council, Dhananjay Munde said the government has failed to get any assistance from Centre to tackle drought in state "which is worse than 1972".
On the issue of reopening of dance bars post the orders of Supreme Court, the NCP leader said the NDA government was "diluting" the issue and reportedly issuing some guidelines to "reopen" dance bars.
"This is ridiculous, we will oppose such move," he added.
Ajit Pawar took a swipe at government over reported suicide of brother-in-law of state water supplies minister Babanrao Lonikar over crop losses and mounting debts yesterday.

"It is unfortunate that a kin of a minister has committed suicide. This shows even they (relatives of ministers) have no faith in government," he said.
Pawar said some of the NCP members will travel to Delhi on December 10 to attend 75th birthday of party supremo Sharad Pawar.