SS(UBT) slams Nitesh Rane, seeks his resignation for statement over selective govt funding

Mumbai, Feb 17 (IANS) Shiv Sena (UBT) on Monday launched a blistering attack against Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Nitesh Rane for his recent statement that funds from the district planning committee or from the state government will be allocated on a priority basis to the villages where workers were largely associated with the ruling MahaYuti.

“Where there is no BJP MP, MLA, or Sarpanch, will they deprive those areas of funds for development works? Aren’t the people of those regions the citizens of India? Fadnavis must answer” asked the Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut.

An editorial published in the Shiv Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamana’, questioned BJP leader Nitesh Rane’s alleged announcement that “If you want government funds, come to BJP, and if there are sarpanches of Maha Vikas Aghadi, then you will not get a single rupee.”

“Does the Chief Minister, who has returned from the Kumbh Mela, accept this stance of his minister?” Raut asked in the editorial in ‘Saamana’ on Monday.

“This is completely against the oath taken by the minister according to the Constitution. The governor administers the oath to the ministers. The governor is the watchdog of the Constitution. What can be said about a minister in Maharashtra publicly violating that oath?

“A minister belongs to the entire state. He is not a member of a party or a faction within a party. However, for the last four years, the politics of hatred has reached its peak in Maharashtra,” reads the editorial.

Targeting former Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, it further adds, “The then Chief Minister of the extra-constitutional government followed a policy of providing ample funds only to the MLAs and MPs of his own faction. After crossing over to the Shinde faction, those legislators were receiving funds to the tune of Rs 300-400 crore.

“The business of taking 35 per cent commission from contractors in exchange for work done with this fund, flourished during that time. If the corporators switched parties, they were also given bribes in the form of funds. The MLAs, MPs and corporators of the Opposition party did not get even a single rupee of development funds then and are not getting them even today.”

“Now Fadnavis’ minister has clearly said, ‘If the MahaYuti flag is not seen in the village, the allocation of funds will be discontinued. Let them criticise me. It doesn’t matter. Our boss is sitting firmly on top. I have no worries.’ Now who is his boss who supports such unconstitutional works? Chief Minister Fadnavis should clarify this,” the editorial states.

The editorial adds, “PM Modi says, ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ and his ministers in Maharashtra say, ‘Development only for those who lick our boots.’ The position of the Opposition party is also equal in democracy. Just by winning elections and forming the government, you do not become the owner of the state. The government treasury is not the treasury of the minister’s house. The people’s tax money is deposited in the treasury and the flow of development funds starts from there,” it says.

It questions how the minister can use such rude language and appear arrogant.

“Maharashtra has a tradition of impartial Chief Ministers like Yashwantrao Chavan, Vasantrao Naik, Vasantdada Patil, Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray. They tried to balance the development of the state. They did not sit on the development funds like a snake. That is why today’s developed Maharashtra is visible.

“No one has ever taken a partisan stance. However, the current ministers have started threatening the gram panchayats, sarpanches and the people,” it added.

“The misfortune of Maharashtra is that the ministers in the Fadnavis government are behaving like village goons. They are targeting castes and religions and are now directly threatening the voters,” ‘Saamana’ added.

“The ‘Batge’ (those joined BJP from other parties) are killing democracy with government money. Such ministers should be immediately dismissed and the dignity of democracy and the Constitution should be maintained,” says the editorial.

–IANS

sj/rad