Opposition sharpens knives to attack Fadnavis govt over graft

Opposition in Maharashtra today indicated it will adopt an aggressive stand on the issue of "tainted" ministers in BJP-led government and "deteriorating" law and order situation in the state during monsoon session of the legislature beginning here tomorrow.
Congress and NCP members boycotted the customary tea party hosted by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to register their protest over the induction of "tainted" ministers in his Cabinet, which was expanded last week, setting the stage for fireworks in both Houses over a range of issues.
Addressing reporters, Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil of Congress said the exercise was nothing but an "expansion of corruption".

Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde of NCP remarked this is the first government in the history of the state under which "corruption" of eight ministers has been exposed in a span of mere one-and-a-half years.
"When in the past did the state see induction of ministers being probed by CBI, SITs and having their names in chargesheets? The Chief Minister has sullied the image of the State," Vikhe-Patil said.
The Opposition will continue to protest against these ministers till they resign, he said.

The BJP-Shiv Sena government should be "ashamed" of being slammed by the Courts time and again on issues like irregularities in implementation of 'Take Home Ration' scheme for anganwadi children, laxity in drought relief and disbursal of financial aid to farmers, the Congress leader maintained.

"We have a twitter government in place today where ministers, instead of talking on phone, talk publicly on social media (referring to Fadnavis and Rural Development Minister Pankaja Munde's twitter slugfest on allocation of portfolios). The CM has no control over his ministers. The government is only indulging in ease of doing corruption and ease of punishing good officers," Vikhe-Patil said.
Congress will tomorrow hold a protest to highlight the prevailing "corruption" under the Fadnavis government, he said, adding "we have invited the CM to be a part of it."
Munde, meanwhile, said farmers and working class have lost faith in the BJP-led government, which assumed office in October 2014.

"There is so much unease and distrust among people in just one-and-a-half years. People are regretting voting for this government. This is the first government in the history of the state where corruption cases of eight ministers have been unearthed by us in such a short time," he said.
The session comes in the backdrop of resignation by BJP
veteran Eknath Khadse as Revenue Minister in June after a string of allegations, including one related to graft.
The Chief Minister is "shamelessly" giving clean chits to all tainted ministers despite solid proofs of wrongdoing given against them by the Opposition, Munde claimed.

"'Tum khaate raho, main bachata rahunga' (you continue indulging in corruption, I will keep backing you) seems to be the mantra this CM is following. The BJP has betrayed the people by forgetting all their electoral promises," he added.
On the brutal gang-rape and murder of a 15-year-old girl in Ahmednagar district a few days ago, Vikhe-Patil demanded resignation of Fadnavis, who handles Home portfolio, on "moral grounds", while Munde sought death penalty for the culprits besides a high-level inquiry.
The issue is likely to figure prominently during the session.
"We have collected corruption-related documents of these recently inducted Ministers," a Congress leader said.

Among the ministers facing charges is Jaikumar Rawal, who is Minister for Employment Guarantee Schemes, Tourism and Self-Employment.
He is facing allegations of submitting fake documents, showing that he had planted pomegranate trees that got damaged in a hailstorm. He received a compensation of over Rs one crore from the Maharashtra government for this damage.
Another minister on the Opposition radar is Shiv Sena's Gulabrao Patil, Minister of State for Co-operatives.
Patil was recently jailed for a day for allegedly forging documents and copying dead people's signatures in one of the school trust general body meetings. He also faces 13 various cases of cheating and threatening government officials.

BJP's Ravindra Chavan, who is Minister of State for Ports, Medical Education, Information and Technology, Food and Civil supplies, has an atrocity case filed against him. He was also in the limelight for allegedly equating Dalits with pigs.
BJP's Subhash Deshmukh, Minister for Cooperation, Marketing and Textiles, faces charges that as director of a sugar factory, took a loan on farmers' names without their consent.
Farmers were surprised when they received defaulter notices from banks. A cheating case has been filed against him.
Shiv Sena's Arjun Khotkar, Minister of State for Textiles, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries, faces allegations of threatening government employees and obstructing their work.

BJP's Sambhaji Patil-Nilangekar, Minister for Labour, Earthquake Rehabilitation, Skill Development and Ex-servicemen Welfare, has been in the news for his association with a company declared as a wilful defaulter by a bank.