Averring that currently there was “ideological pollution” in the state, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday slammed the BJP “for not letting our government to do our work” and lamented that “if we do work, it (the Opposition) raises the bogey of corruption”.
Without naming the BJP, Uddhav took pot shots at the Opposition and said he would speak his mind out at a rally to be addressed by him on May 14.
Uddhav, who has been under constant attack from the BJP in recent weeks, said: “Currently, there is ideological pollution in the state. Many people do not let our government do work and if we do work, they will raise the bogey of corruption. They conduct themselves as if they have taken a bath and are a purified lot now, while all others are corrupt people”.
The chief minister said that while no one objected to the Opposition indulging in politics, there should be “some standard” in its conduct. “Just because you are in the Opposition, that does not mean you should oppose everything we do. If the government commits a mistake, please pull us up. But when we do good work, the Opposition should have the magnanimity to appreciate us,” Uddhav said.
Hitting out at the BJP for raising objections to the drinking water project undertaken by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for Mumbai, the chief minister said: “It is easy to talk on the issue of water for Mumbaikars. How can store gigantic volumes of water required by the city? If we build dams, then we will have to fell trees and reduce our forest cover which we can ill-afford to do”.
“Owing to climatic changes, the temperatures have soared to unprecedented levels this year. We can look for easy ways to keep the people in good humour. But, people do not understand that taking easy routes to solve our immediate water shortage will have long term implications. I have not dreamt of or worked for such a kind of development. I will never do such a thing that will affect the people adversely in the long-run,” the chief minister said.
Debunking the Opposition’s efforts to “mislead” people through bluffing in the run up to the BMC elections, Uddhav said: “We will not tolerate this kind of bluffing by the Opposition. I will speak my mind out when I address a rally on May 14. I am not one mislead people. I will speak to the people on all issues. I will not hold anything back”.