Unprecedented: Govt stages walk out in Maharashtra

In an unprecedented development in the history of Maharashtra - and perhaps in India, members of the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena saffron alliance on Wednesday walked out of the Council accusing the opposition Congress and NCP of regularly disrupting the proceedings not allowing them to speak.

Revenue minister Chandrakant Patil, the No. 2 to Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Girish Bapat lashed out at the Congress and NCP and said that they have made it impossible for them to participate in the proceedings.

They also urged Council chairman Ramraje Naik-Nimbalkar (of the NCP) and deputy chairman Manikrao Thakre (of the Congress) to take cognizance of the act of the Opposition benches.

"They are not allowing the ministers to make statements or give replies....our MLCs (of BJP and Shiv Sena) are not being allowed to speak....all just as they have members," Bapat said adding that since the last seven days of then House not a single bill could be passed.

"It is a law making body....we must follow the law, rules, precedents," said Patil, adding that it was a matter of regret that such a thing took place. "There was no choice for the Treasury benches," he said.

The leader of Opposition in Council Dhananjay Munde of the NCP said that they are raising pertinent questions and seeking replies from the government. "They fled away from the scene," he said, adding: "It is actually otherwise...the government is trying to crush the voice of the Opposition."

In fact, the Fadnavis-government came under fire on Wednesday, on issues of corruption and immediate sacking or resignation of housing minister Prakash Mehta.

Besides Mehta, Radheshyam Mopalwar, the vice chairman and managing director of Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation and Vishwas Patil, former chief of Slum Rehabilitation Authority too are facing charges of corruption. While Patil retired recently, Mopalwar is heading the implementation of Nagpur-Mumbai Super Communication Expressway, a dream project of Fadnavis-government.

While the government is comfortable in the Assembly in terms of numbers, the case is not same in the upper House.

The Council has a strength of 78 - in which BJP has 17 legislators and Shiv Sena 9 totalling 26 whereas the Opposition combine has 52. Of these, NCP has 23, Congress 20, Independents 5, PWP 1, JD(U) 1 and PRP 1.