Oppn boycotts tea party before Assembly session

MUMBAI: On the eve of the Legislative Assembly session, a war of words took off between the Opposition and the ruling party. The Opposition called the government as ‘Thugs of Maharashtra.’  In  reply, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the Opposition parties are ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’. 

Fadnavis said the Opposition is not sincere and not behaving responsibly. “They can raise questions for the betterment of the State, but they are raising the issues which were created during their regime,” he said. 

The Opposition boycotted the tea party organised by the State government, alleging the government ‘had put poison in farmer’s life’, so they did not want to accept the invitation. 

“The State is facing a worst drought. The farmers are not getting crop insurance.Instead of tackling the issues the government is running away from it, like ‘Thugs of Maharashtra,” Opposition leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil said.

Dhananjay Munde, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council demanded that the government declare compensation of Rs 50,000 per acre for drought-hit farmers and Rs 1 lakh per acre for fruit growing farmers. 

He also attacked Shiv Sena leader Udhav Thackeray. “While the farmers are facing the heat of drought, the Shiv Sena is going to Ayodhya demanding construction of Ram Mandir. They can not sense ‘Ram’ among the farmers,” he said. 

Fadnavis said the government has declared a drought and sent a proposal for of Rs 7,500 crore to the Central government for aid. “The Opposition should give suggestions and not level only allegations against the government,” he said.