Thackeray-led government is most corrupt: Fadnavis

Fadnavis accused the CM of wanting to rewrite the Constitution

A day after Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray challenged the BJP to bring his government down without seeking a Centre-controlled agency's support, Opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday asked the CM to show if he can actually run a government "before throwing such challenges".

The ex-CM said the agencies were not misused by PM Narendra Modi, but they were working on the orders of the high court. "The government headed by Thackeray is the most corrupt in the history of Maharashtra," Fadnavis said in a sharp attack, during an address in Nagpur.

Fadnavis said the BJP was not interested in ending the Thackeray rule, but "you [the CM] will not even know whenever it happens". He asked the CM to work for the distressed people and farmers instead of blaming the BJP for everything.

Fadnavis further said Thackeray sought answers for the exit of Narayan Rane and Raj Thackeray from the Sena. In other words, Fadnavis implied that Thackeray engineered the powerful leaders' exit. "Thackeray had the ambition to be a CM and he achieved it by rejecting the people's verdict. Being ambitious is not a bad thing, but he must quit philosophising it," said the Opposition leader.

In a serious revelation, Fadnavis said some ministers have installed a software to plan and monitor extortion and the Income Tax department had unearthed corruption and the role of middlemen in the deals, making the agencies to probe further. "Previous governments misused the agencies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi neither misuses the agencies nor interferes in their work. Half of your Cabinet will be behind the bars if the agencies were misused. But one thing is for sure that the PM will uproot the corruption."

Fadnavis wondered whether Thackeray wanted Maharashtra to transform into West Bengal, which has lost industry to unionism and extortion. He said the people who speak against the government are hanged in Bengal. Once the capital, Kolkata has lost its glory. "The BJP will never allow Maharashtra to become Bengal," he said.

Accusing the CM of wanting to rewrite the Constitution, Fadnavis said allegations over the federal structure was an extension of the leftist agenda.

With inputs from Agencies