MLAs from Maharashtra's opposition parties staged a unique protest against state government policies and alleged corruption allegations against ministers on the steps of Vidhan Bhavan in Nagpur on Tuesday.
The assembly witnessed a rare but heartwarming scenario in which MLAs resorted to singing protest songs against the government. State legislatures frequently make headlines for heated conflicts between MLAs from the opposition and the ruling party.
Meanwhile, all eyes are set on the Maharashtra Assembly on Tuesday, when the state government is expected to pass a resolution expressing solidarity with citizens living in the controversial border region with Karnataka. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde slammed his predecessor, Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leader Uddhav Thackeray, for criticising his visit to the national capital and demanding that Karnataka's Marathi-speaking regions be designated a Union Territory.
"We don't need anyone else's advice." We remain strong in our support for individuals who live in the border region. "We intend to introduce a resolution to that effect in the assembly tomorrow (Tuesday)," Shinde told reporters in New Delhi on Monday.
The statements by Shinde, who was in Delhi for the Veer Baal Divas ceremony, came as the Maharashtra-Karnataka border conflict resurfaced in the Maharashtra Assembly's ongoing winter session on Monday, with the opposition demanding a resolution on the issue.
Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister, informed the House that a resolution to the border dispute would be offered within a day or two.