Maharashtra opposition parties boycott of government's customary tea party
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Mumbai: The opposition parties in Maharashtra, including Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and NCP (Sharad Pawar group), have decided to boycott the tea party hosted by the state government on the eve of the monsoon session of the legislature in a show of dissent. It is set to commence on Monday.
The decision was taken during a meeting organised by the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, Ambadas Danve of Shiv Sena (UBT), in the presence of Congress legislative party leader Balasaheb Thorat and Nationalist Congress Party's Jayant Patil.
The move comes as a symbolic protest against the government's alleged failure to address the concerns and issues faced by the people across various sectors.
Ambadas Danve expressed his disapproval, saying, "This government's validity on Constitutional norms is already in question." He further criticised the government for resorting to what he perceived as the misuse of probe agencies to exert pressure on the opposition, either to join the government or face false charges and harassment.
Highlighting the state of democracy in Maharashtra, Danve raised concerns about the disregard for constitutional norms, pointing to the ongoing disqualification proceedings against the Chief Minister. He also raised issues related to industrial growth, accusing the government of losing out on potential projects that could have been established within the state's boundaries. He further slammed the push for the refinery project in Ratnagiri district without obtaining the consent of local residents.
Regarding the vacant post of the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, which became vacant after Ajit Pawar's resignation from the post, Balasaheb Thorat of Congress said, "Congress has 45 MLAs and we can stake a claim to the LoP post. However, the nomination of the candidate for the post will be decided by senior leaders in Delhi." The official recognition of the LoP post is subject to the approval of the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.
The decision to boycott the tea party serves as a symbolic gesture reflecting the opposition's dissatisfaction with the government's policies and actions.
