‘MVA wants to run away from debate’

MUMBAI: Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly Devendra Fadnavis, on Sunday, criticised the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government for preparing a strategy to ensure there is no debate on its performance during the budget session of the state legislature that begins on Monday. He claimed that the MVA government, which is ‘directionless’ and has failed on all the fronts, wants to run away from the debate.

“Its single-point agenda is corruption in transfers of IAS and IPS officers,” he alleged. He said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will publish a booklet on the ‘corrupt practices’ in Mumbai while dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said that the state government has cancelled the customary tea party on the session’s eve due to the pandemic. “The political meetings of the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) are allowed during the current situation. Shiv Sena’s show of strength is okay. Only what is not allowed is the tea party and the Shiv Jayanti celebration (wherein curbs were imposed earlier this month),” he said. Fadnavis also targeted Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Rathod, who resigned as the state cabinet minister on Sunday, af ter facing flak from the opposition BJP over his name being linked to a woman’s death. “Despite evidence in the form of video and audio clips, there is no FIR against Rathod. I will not blame Rathod, but the higher ups for shielding him,” he said, without naming anyone. The police official conducting the probe into the case should be immediately suspended, he said.

“We are of the opinion that the proposed Shakti Act for crime against women is a farce. There is no action against ministers involved in cases of crime against women. Is the law different for ministers?” he asked. -