Mumbai, Feb 25 (IANS) Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar on Wednesday launched a blistering attack on the Maharashtra government describing the Governor’s address as nothing more than a “repetitive rehearsal of old points” and a “market of words.”
Leading the Congress party’s opposition to the Governor’s speech in the Legislative Assembly, Wadettiwar accused the Mahayuti government of forcing the Governor to present “blatant lies” to the House.
Wadettiwar alleged that while the government uses the names of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Mahatma Phule, Shahu Maharaj, and Dr B.R. Ambedkar for political optics, its actions consistently insult their ideologies.
“This government honoured individuals with Padma awards who sat in Raj Bhavan and insulted Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Savitribai Phule. While Dr. Ambedkar gave everyone the right to live with equality, current ministers are making statements that incite communal tension. The social harmony of Maharashtra has been shattered under this regime,” he stated.
The Congress leader questioned the government’s economic projections, specifically the shift from the 2024 goals to the ‘Vision 2047’ plan.
He pointed out that the government previously promised a $1 trillion economy by 2024. “They have forgotten the $1 trillion promise and are now talking about $5 trillion. Is it justifiable to talk about 2047 in 2026 without showing results for the current targets?” he asked, calling the figures “mere inflation.”
Highlighting the irony of the state’s educational heritage, Wadettiwar noted that 2,200 schools in Maharashtra currently lack teachers, and Marathi-medium schools are being shut down. He suggested that the government should divert Rs 2,000 crore from the Rs 14,000 crore allocated for the Kumbh Mela towards the education sector.
He ridiculed the “$5 trillion” talk, noting that the state currently lacks funds even to repair ambulances.
Wadettiwar leveled serious allegations regarding “commission-driven” governance. He claimed contracts for school bags are being handed to pharmaceutical companies to enrich favourites. He accused the government of handing over wildlife habitat land in the Tadoba Tiger Reserve and Nagpur Forest Division to industrialists.
“While they talk about planting 10 crore trees, they are clearing forests and ‘selling’ the state’s air, water, and land,” he alleged.
Wadettiwar slammed the government over its handling of the agrarian crisis. He lamented that farmers in Yavatmal and Amravati are being forced to sell their kidneys to repay debts, yet the Governor’s speech failed to mention “debt-free farmers” (Karjamukti). He dismissed the MoUs signed at the World Economic Forum in Davos as “inflated numbers.”
He questioned the necessity of travelling to Davos to sign agreements with Indian and Maharashtrian companies and demanded a White Paper on actual employment generated from these international trips.
–IANS
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