With no let up in the Opposition's protests against the BJP-led saffron alliance Government over its failure to tackle severe drought in the State, the Opposition Congress and NCP on Thursday opened a new flank in its battle against the Devendra Fadnavis dispensation by demanding the dismissal of Education Minister Vinod Tawde for allegedly continuing to hold an office of profit.
On a day when its legislators staged noisy protests on the stairs of Vidhan Bhavan against the Devendra Fadnavis dispensation's failure to tackle severe drought and act against the scam-tainted Ministers, the Opposition charged in the State legislative Council that Tawde continued to hold the post of a honorary director of a company which was a violation of model code of conduct.
Raising the issue through an adjournment motion, senior Congress member Sharad Ranpise said that Tawde should have resigned from his post within two months after being sworn in as a Minister as provided under the model code of conduct and election laws.
Ranpise also pointed out that the rules that he cited were applicable for both Union and Ministers in states. He demanded the Chief Minister sack Tawde or the Minister concerned should tender his resignation owing moral responsibility.
leader of Opposition, Dhananjay Munde of the NCP said that the code of conduct for Ministers needs to be taken seriously.
On his part, senior Congress member Janardhan Chandurkar wanted to know as to why the members were discussing the issue without identifying the Minister concerned.
Chandurkar went onto identify the Minister concerned indirectly, by saying: "I want to know which Minister is being talked about. According to newspaper reports, the Minister in question is Vinod Tawde. I want to know if this is true. If not, injustice is being done to Tawde. It is thus imperative that we debate on the issue and facts be presented before the House".
Making an intervention, Minister for legislative Affairs Girish Bapat assured the House that the Government would make a statement before the end of the ongoing budget session of the State legislature.
In his ruling on the issue, Chairman Ramraje Naik-Nimbalkar assured the House that he would allow four Opposition members to raise questions on the issue, after the State Government made a statement.
Earlier in the morning, the Opposition Congress and NCP members led by leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, his counterpart in the upper house Dhananjay Munde and former deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar staged a protest on the stairs leading to the State legislature against the State Government's "failure" to tackle severe drought conditions and allegations of irregularities against Ministers.
The protesting legislators, who comprised several former ministers in the previous DF Government, displayed banners demanding total loan waiver for farmers and immediate steps to provide relief to drought-hit regions. The protesters were also demanding Tawade's resignation for alleged violation of the model code of conduct for Ministers.
Munde said that during the ongoing budget session, the Opposition would make the State Government accountable for its failures on various fronts — including the inept handling of drought, law and order situation in the State and the messing up of 'Make in India' event
Vikhe-Patil charged that that the Devendra Fadnavis Government had miserably failed in extending relief to the drought-affected farmers in the state. "Farmers need immediate relief as unseasonal rains and hailstorms in several parts of north Maharashtra, Marathwada and Vidarbha have destroyed Rabi crops," he said.