The NCP has claimed that BJP legislators have deliberately raised the Vidarbha issue to divert attention from the party’s ‘tainted’ ministers. The Opposition party claimed that, during the budget session, then-attorney general Sreehari Aney had raised the same issue to divert attention from the drought in the state. The Upper House has been stalled for three days over certain ministers’ alleged corruption. Meanwhile, a BJP insider claimed that the party’s strategy was decided in a meeting on Thursday night.
Both Houses of the Legislature were adjourned for the day owing to ruckus in the Assembly over the demand of statehood for Vidarbha, for which BJP MP Nana Patole had submitted a private member’s bill in the Lok Sabha.
Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde said that a private member’s bill could not be asked in Lok Sabha without the Union Cabinet’s approval. “Since the Narendra Modi-led Union Cabinet approved the bill, the BJP’s agenda is to carve out a Vidarbha state from Maharashtra,” said Mr Munde. He further said that the state unit of the BJP should make its stand on the issue clear.
Mr Munde claimed that the BJP raises the Vidarbha issue every time things spin out of control for it in the House. He said, “During the budget session, we — as an Opposition party — jammed both the Upper and Lower House over the drought issue. At the same time, the high court had also slammed the state government over its failure in tackling the crisis.” He added it was then when Mr Aney, who happens to be a friend of the chief minister’s, raised the Vidarbha issue repeatedly to divert the House’s attention from drought, and the plan succeeded.
Mr Munde said, “In the first three days of this week in the monsoon session, we succeeded in stalling the Upper House over corrupt ministers. The Lower House too saw aggression over the same issue.”
Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil too demanded a clarification from the Fadnavis government on this issue. “We will finalise our strategy on Monday, till then we will wait for the CM’s statement,” said Mr Vikhe-Patil.
The BJP, when it came to know that the Opposition was firm on the tainted ministers’ issue and would continue to target it, decided to raise the Vidarbha issue. “The strategy was decided in a dinner meeting of party legislators held at Mahila Arthik Vikas Mandal at Nariman Point on Thursday night,” claimed a BJP legislator.
He added, “We are aware that Vidarbha is sensitive subject for the Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena. But we are confident that the Sena will speak loudly against the BJP outside the House, but will never dare to quit the government.”
