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Devendra Fadnavis takes ‘Hum Aapke Hain Kaun’ jibe at Maha Vikas Aghadi ahead of budget session
Ajit Pawar, who is also the state finance minister, will present the Maharashtra state Budget on March 10.
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis attacked the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi on Sunday ahead of the assembly's Budget session, which begins on Monday.
At a joint press conference with his deputies, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, Fadnavis pointed out that the MVA had submitted a nine-page letter to the government but skipped the customary pre-session meeting over snacks.
He assured that the Opposition would be given sufficient time to speak in the House during the session.
"The Budget Session is going to start tomorrow. The Opposition has given us a nine-page letter. The situation in the Opposition is 'Hum Aapke Hain Kaun?', not 'Hum Saath Saath Hain'. They had an opportunity for fluent conversation, but they did not attend the 'Chahapan' (snack meeting before the session). The letter they gave us is only based on newspaper articles. We will give the Opposition a long time to speak in the House," Fadnavis was quoted by ANI as saying.
He also dismissed speculation about stalled projects under the current government, saying, "We all are working together, and the talks that the CM has stopped or stayed some work are completely false. These are all rumours."
Ajit Pawar, who is also the state finance minister, will present the Budget on March 10. The deputy CM also assured that the House would function smoothly despite the Opposition's absence from the pre-session meeting.
"The opposition did not attend the meeting today ahead of the Budget Session. The opposition has sent us a letter... We will definitely try to run this session smoothly," Pawar was quoted as saying by ANI.
Fadnavis denies rift with Eknath Shinde
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis scoffed at speculations of a “cold war” between him and his deputy Eknath Shinde, and mocked Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, quipping he wants to “compete with Salim-Javed, the legendary screenwriting duo.”
“There is no war. Those who know both of us will remember what we do when we are together,” PTI quoted Fadnavis, who pointed to their meetings before Shinde’s rebellion split the undivided Shiv Sena and sunk the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in 2022.
ALSO READ: Don’t take me lightly, says Shinde, amid growing rift with Fadnavis
While Fadnavis maintained that all partners of ruling Mahayuti – BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP – are working unitedly, Shinde chipped in, “Everything is thanda thanda, cool cool.”
Shinde, who heads the Shiv Sena, said the budget session will be the first House proceedings of the new government after Mahayuti’s stunning victory in the state polls last year.
“It is just that Fadnavis and I have swapped our chairs. Only Ajit Pawar’s chair is fixed,” said Shinde, who was the CM before the assembly elections with Fadnavis and Pawar as his deputies then.
Pawar came up with the repartee, “What can I do if you couldn’t keep your chair,” sending all three into peals of laughter.
