Maha Vikas Aghadi boycott CM’s tea meeting

The MVA also hit out at the government for the law and order situation which include the incidents of drug seizure online gaming and crime against women.

Mumbai: Citing multiple issues like the worsening condition of farmers and deteriorating law and order situation in Maharashtra, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on Sunday boycotted the customary tea meeting hosted by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on the eve of the Budget session of the legislature. 

The brief five-day Budget session commences on Monday.

The Maratha-vs-OBC reservation issue too would figure in the legislature. 

Though a brief session, for Shinde and two Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, it's not going to be smooth sailing. 

The interim Budget would be tabled by Pawar, who holds the Finance portfolio, on Tuesday.

In a letter to Shinde, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Vijay Wadettiwar of Congress and his counterpart in the Council Ambadas Danve of Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress Legislature Party leader Balasaheb Thorat, state NCP (SP) head Jayant Patil, former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, Samajwadi Party’s state unit President Abu Asim Azmi shot off a letter  to Shinde expressing displeasure over the functioning of the government. 

In the letter, the opposition leaders pointed out that the no progress has been made vis-a-vis building of the grand memorial of legendary Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Arabian Sea and the memorial of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar in the Mumbai coast is yet to be complete. 

“Because of anti-farmers’ policies of Centre and State, the farmers are facing problems,” the letter states, pointing out that in the last one year, 2,921 farmers have died by suicide. 

The MVA also hit out at the government for the law and order situation which include the incidents of drug seizure, matka, online gaming, sextortion, crime against women and children. 

The MVA leaders also referred to the Ulhasnagar incident involving BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad, who opened fire at Shiv Sena local leader Mahesh Gaikwad, who got six bullet injuries and Rahul Patil, who sustained two gunshot wounds. They also pointed out the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Abhishek  Ghosalkar and businessman-philanthropist Mauris Noronha alias Mauris Bhai in Borivali. 

They also said that people of Mumbai were upset over the redevelopment plan of the Mahalaxmi Racecourse.