As NCP protests case against Jitendra Awhad, senior leader Jayant Patil says this

In a Twitter thread, Patil slammed the Maharashtra government for ‘misusing power to silence the opposition.’

Hitting out at Maharashtra's Shinde faction-BJP coalition government, state NCP chief Jayant Patil on Monday accused them of ‘misusing power to suppress the opposition’s voice.'

Mumbai, India - August 05, 2022: Maharashtra State NCP president Jayant Patil, at NCP Office, in Mumbai, India, on Friday, August 05, 2022. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo) (HT PHOTO)

“Instead of using power for the good of common man, they are misusing it as a weapon of dictatorship to suppress the opposition's voice and confuse them from all sides. By using 'Sama-Dam-Dand-Bheda, those in power are busy in pursuing their own interests,” tweeted Patil in Marathi (rough translation).

In a subsequent tweet, the Islampur MLA said when people's anger against the ‘inefficient’ government increases, the ruling dispensation uses central agencies and state police to hide its failures.

Patil concluded his thread by saying the opposition will continue to fight the ‘thorn’ that is obstructing Maharashtra's development, adding that people's blessings are with them.

The former minister's tweets come at a time when the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is up in arms against what it describes as ‘targeting’ of its MLA and senior leader Jitendra Awhad. Last Friday, Awhad was arrested for forcibly stopping the screening of a film. A day later, he was granted bail.

Then, in a separate case, he was booked for allegedly molesting a woman. Both Awhad and the NCP have strongly refuted the allegation.

Also, in recent days, the Maharashtra government has also come under fire from the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (Uddhav faction, NCP and Congress) as several business projects meant for Maharashtra, ended up going to the neighbouring Gujarat instead.