An innocuous tweet by BJP's Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis taking a swipe at the Maharashtra government on the Mumbai Metro, ignited another war of words in the state on Thursday.
Late on Wednesday, Fadnavis took a ride on the Delhi Metro, and posted his photos with a mocking comment on Twitter targeting the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance government back home.
"I travelled in Delhi Metro today to return back to the airport and reached in a very short span as compared to travel by road!" Fadnavis tweeted.
He added: "Don't know when will I be able to travel in Mumbai Metro 3 to the airport, looking at the things messed up by the MVA on car shed issues."
The sarcasm was not lost on the ruling MVA partners - Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party, and Congress which hit back vigorously and unitedly.
Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said he was glad that Fadnavis appreciated the "Delhi Metro, developed by the Congress government."
"The only metro (in Mumbai) completed was also by the (erstwhile Congress-NCP) government. Your government could not meet 2019 deadline," Sawant said.
The Congress leader assured that with vast experience in governance, "the MVA will surely do what your (BJP-led Fadnavis government) could not, if the hurdles created by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government are removed."
The BJP and Fadnavis are keen to retain the site at Aarey Colony, while the MVA wants to take it to the Kanjurmarg site, which has now been claimed by the Centre, and failing this, the MVA is eyeing a site in Bandra Kurla Complex where the proposed Bullet Train terminus is planned, giving palpitations to many.
Hammering Fadnavis on this, Sawant said: "It was your government that messed up by doing a deal with Shapoorji Pallonji builders. It was your government that favoured private builders over a public metro. If you want to look for someone to blame for this mess, do look into the mirror."
The CM's aide Pradhan added that actually Fadnavis should feel "sad" that he missed the opportunity to be a part of the golden era of Maharashtra especially since "the Sena and Thackeray were once in alliance with BJP".