Send report on Maharashtra’s ‘political situation’ to Prez: BJP leaders to Guv

The BJP leaders cited about 100 cases to highlight the “administrative failure” of the state government and requested governor BS Koshyari to seek a report from chief minister Uddhav Thackeray

A delegation of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders from Maharashtra, led by leader of opposition in the state assembly Devendra Fadnavis, met governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at Raj Bhavan, demanding his intervention in the “political crisis”. The BJP leaders cited about 100 cases to highlight the “administrative failure” of the state government and requested him to seek a report from chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.

BJP leader and former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis. (PTI)

After meeting Koshyari on Wednesday morning, BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar said that the delegation cited about 100 cases to portray the failure of the government, from corruption and misuse of the police force for extortion to failure to handle the Covid-19 pandemic. He said that the delegation requested the governor to seek a report from chief minister or chief secretary on the current situation in the state and forward it to the President of India.

“The state government has failed to act in the interest of the people. There is tremendous pressure on the administration for not acting in the interest of the state. There is urgent need of intervention by the governor to safeguard the interest of the state by using the constitutional powers he has. We have requested him for such intervention to do justice with the people of Maharashtra,” Mungantiwar said.

Fadnavis said that chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s silence was surprising and they have requested the governor to make him speak, and, as head of the state, seek a report from him. “Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has maintained silence as he knows that he will have to take action against the people involved in corruption. The government has lost moral ground with its failure on all fronts. Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar addressed two press conferences but opted to shield wrongdoers,” he said .

Fadnavis questioned why the state government sat on the report submitted by then director general of police highlighting the corruption in the transfer of police officers for last seven months. “If they think there was nothing objectionable in the report, why was no action was taken in seven months after its submission on March 25? Whom are they saving from exposure? Who are the people involved in the transfer racket and to whom are they related?” he said.

Fadnavis said that he was ready to face any action for unearthing the facts in the report. “I am ready to face any action for bringing the facts of the report to the fore as I have done it in the public interest,” he said.

Replying to Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut’s remarks on governor BS Koshyari being a “BJP worker”, Fadnavis questioned, “If he is a BJP worker for meeting us, then why did you bow before the governor... (during a visit to Raj Bhavan last year)?”