He sits in AC cabin, how will the CM know about drought: Ashok Chavan

“The Chief Minister says Maharashtra is “sujalam sufalam” in interviews. I can’t blame him — how will those sitting in air-conditioned cabins, understand the situation of the poor people in Marathwada?” questioned Ashok Chavan, president, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, at a rally in Jalna as part of the Congress’ statewide Jan Sangharsh Yatra.

Blaming the BJP-Sena government for advertising of their achievements in the last four years, Chavan said the Chief Minister was busy promoting himself despite the tall promises he made for providing fair crop prices, clean drinking water and farm loan waivers, all which remain unfulfilled.

Chavan hit out at BJP ministers from Marathwada for being blind to the misery of the people when the region was getting water only once every eight days.

“While Marathwada is suffering from drought, Sambhaji Nilangekar is surveying the region with mobile phone torches at night and Pankaja Munde is in US,” said Chavan.

Speaking on Marathwada, Chavan said, it is facing severe water scarcity this year, and accused the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ flagship Jayukt Shivar of being the biggest scam in Maharashtra. “When the Jal Yukta Shivar was announced, we did not criticise the scheme because it was supposed to benefit Maharashtra. But it has turned into a “Jholyukt Shivar” that has only benefited contractors associated with the Shiv Sena and the BJP,” said Chavan.

Despite thousands of crores being spent on the Jalyukt Shivar, Congress has blamed the government of falling water tables by two to three metres, which the opposition party said is as per the government records. “The BJP says the satellite surveys show there is no drought in Jalna. Can they see if you are making bhakris in your house through their satellites?” taunted Chavan.

Diesel and petrol prices were on their way to reaching the Rs. 100 mark but were reduced only after the Congress protested against the government, Chavan said. He also hit out at the Prime Minister for making grand promises of reducing fuel prices.

“Prime Minister Modi is laughing in all his posters pasted at all the petrol pumps across India. This is a cruel joke on our people — he is laughing because he has fooled the people of this country,” he said.

Questioning the hypocrisy of the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance in Maharashtra, Chavan said that the Shiv Sena speaks against the BJP and the BJP speaks against the Sena. This was a classic example of “Aatun kirtan, varun tamasha” (drama in the name of prayer), he said.

Calling Jal Yukta Shivar as “Jholyukt” (corruption-filled) Shivar, Cong says Marathwada gets water only once every eight days