Pawar defends CM, says asked him to monitor from one place

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday defended chief minister (CM) Uddhav Thackeray for not touring other areas of the state during the

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday defended chief minister (CM) Uddhav Thackeray for not touring other areas of the state during the Covid-19 crisis. Pawar said they all had urged the CM to oversee and monitor functioning of his team from a place as the head of the government. He also praised Thackeray saying that the latter is working day and night against Covid-19 outbreak.

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Pawar, along with state health minister Rajesh Tope, has started visiting cities and districts and reviewing preparations of local authorities. On Saturday, he was in Aurangabad city where he took a stock of the situation and launched ‘Mission Zero—Aurangabad’ campaign that aims to bring the fatality rate in the city to zero. Aurangabad guardian minister and industries minister Subhash Desai was also present during the event.

Maharashtra has the highest number of Covid-19 cases and deaths across the country with a surge in new Covid-19 cases in several cities and districts, taking daily case count of the state to almost 10,000.

The NCP supremo said sitting at a place is not in his nature and that it is his duty to reach out to the people in the time of the crisis as many districts have supported him in the past. “It is in my nature to keep visiting people. Also, many districts such as Aurangabad, Beed etc. have helped me in the past and it is my duty to reach out to all those in the time of crisis. Today, I’m here only with that feeling and there is no other reason behind it,” he said.

“Being a captain, we all had urged the chief minister to be at a place and oversee and monitor the functioning of his team and take decisions accordingly, which he is doing at present. After going back to Mumbai, I will meet and explain the situation to him. The guardian minister (Subhash Desai) will also be meeting him for the same and I’m sure he will take necessary decisions immediately. Crises of this nature are fought this way,” Pawar said.

“CM is working day and night focussing to control the Covid-19 pandemic. He has been taking reviews from officials and people concerned, twice a day — morning and evening. But there was also a view that some people should go on field and took stock of the situation, thus we are here to attend a meeting called by the guardian minister,” the veteran leader added.

The 79-year-old leader was in Nashik on Friday and in Solapur district on Monday where he reviewed the measures taken to control the situation.

The opposition has criticised that the chief minister for not touring other parts of the state to review the situation while the ruling Shiv Sena claimed Thackeray has been taking virtual review. Taking a dig at the CM, state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil on Saturday told a Marathi news channel, “Even a school student can say that our Uddhavji is not going anywhere.”

Recently, the state government has barred state officials from attending meetings called by Opposition leaders including non-governmental members, MPs and legislators. An order to this effect was issued on July 21.

The decision came after the leader of Opposition in the legislative Assembly Devendra Fadnavis was touring a few districts to review the Covid-19 situation. Leader of Opposition in the legislative council Pravin Darekar, too, has visited various Covid care centres and hospitals.