Shiv Sena slams BJP government’s ‘transparent’ claim after row over ‘rats’ in Mantralaya

An editorial in the party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ said Mantralaya has become a ‘rat house’ and it is BJP’s responsibility to “get rid of these rats”.

Continuing its criticism of the state government, the Shiv Sena on Saturday slammed its ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the alleged ‘rat scam’ in Mantralaya. It said allegations made by disgruntled BJP leader Eknath Khadse discredit BJP’s claim of running a “transparent” administration.

BJP leader Eknath Khadse (HT File)

An editorial in the Sena mouthpiece Saamana said Mantralaya has become a ‘rat house’ and it is BJP’s responsibility to “get rid of these rats”. If not, people of the state will vote them out, Saamana said.

“The rat scam has not just bit into the state exchequer, it has made a hole in the government’s claim of a transparent administration. Mantralaya has become a rat house. It is still unclear why Khadse exposed this scam, but it is the government’s responsibility to get rid of rats, otherwise, people of the state are sitting with rat traps,” it read.

Last week in the state Assembly, Khadse alleged that the company that was awarded the contract for pest control in the state secretariat claimed to have killed 3,19,400 rats in seven days.

The work order was given by the General Administration Department, which is headed by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. However, the government later clarified that the figure 3,19,400 was of anti-rodent tablets and not of rats killed.

The Sena said the government should set up a special investigation team (SIT) to inquire how the 3.19lakh rats were disposed of.

State finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar slams Khadse

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar slammed his party colleague and former cabinet colleague Eknath Khadse for his dig at the government over the rat killing contract.

Mungantiwar said such false and misinterpreting statements would lead to fall in the government’s integrity and that he has prayed to God to give politicians good sense while making statements in public.

Mungantiwar, who was in Shirdi on Saturday said people are losing faith in the government system and such statements only weaken the credibility of the government further. He said the contract, to which Khadse referred to in the Assembly on Thursday, was given for the supply of 3.19 lakh anti-rodent tablets and it does not mean that many rats were killed.

Khadse had taken a dig at the government by claiming that the government killed 3.17 rats in just seven days in 2016.