Cong leader Balasaheb Thorat accuses CM Shinde of spreading 'fake news'

Congress Legislature Party leader in Maharashtra Balasaheb Thorat on Sunday accused Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis of creating religious discord by spreading "fake news".

Thorat's comments came a day after CM Shinde said the Congress government in Karnataka was trying to shut down Ganesh festival celebrations.

Shinde on Saturday also said the opposition targeted his government over the collapse of a statue of Shivaji Maharaj (in Sindhudurg), but remains silent about police in Congress-ruled Karnataka putting a Ganesh idol in a police van.

Videos purportedly showing Karnataka police taking away a Ganesh idol from protestors and putting it in a police van have gone viral on social media.

"The only thing that the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister are doing full time is creating a fake narrative by constantly spreading fake news," Thorat claimed in a post on X and asked whether they were running "fake news factories".

Earlier, they protested against a statement of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi regarding reservation, which he did not make, Thorat said.

"And now an attempt is being made to create religious discord in the state by spreading fake news about what did not happen in Karnataka," he claimed.

"The people of the state are wise and along with your fake narrative, your government will also be uprooted," Thorat said.