Fadnavis Is ‘Most Helpless CM,’ Says Maharashtra Congress Chief Sapkal Over Ministers' Scandals

Mumbai, July 23 (PTI) In scathing remarks about the recent controversies surrounding MLAs of the ruling alliance, Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal on Wednesday said Devendra Fadnavis was the most helpless chief minister in the state's history.

Speaking to PTI Videos, Sapkal referred to agriculture minister Manikrao Kokate being seen playing rummy on his mobile phone in the legislative council, and Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad assaulting a canteen employee for serving stale food.

"Every day, his ministers get embroiled in some scandal, but his fate is to merely tolerate them," Sapkal said.

"It seems that Fadnavis is running a club inside the assembly and their (ruling BJP-led alliance) leaders have opened a WWF arena outside," the Congress leader added.

Talking about the law and order situation in the state, he said a "gang-war of triple engine" was going on inside the government, an apparent reference to the Mahayuti alliance which comprises the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP.

Murders are taking place in Beed, `koyta' gangs are running amok, and a dance bar is operating in the name of a minister's mother, Sapkal further said.

On the recent closed-door meeting between Fadnavis and Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray (whose party is part of the opposition alliance that includes the Congress), Sapkal said, "I don't think anything (political realignment) is afoot, because it was the BJP which divided Shiv Sena. They have taken away the name and symbol of Shiv Sena too." The Congress leader also refused to read too much into Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar praising chief minister Fadnavis in a coffee table book released on Fadnavis's birthday. To wish someone despite political differences is part of Maharashtra's culture, he said.

However, Fadnavis and the BJP have patronised leaders who use abusive language and look for politics everywhere, Sapkal remarked. 

(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.) 

india