Sharad Pawar, the leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), criticised the Eknath Shinde government on Saturday for its inability to uphold law and order in Maharashtra as it marked one year in office on June 30.
After a successful uprising against Uddhav Thackeray separated the Shiv Sena and toppled the Maha Vikas Aghadi government (MVA), of which Pawar's NCP and the Congress were a part, Shinde was appointed chief minister on June 30 of the previous year.
Queried about the first anniversary of the Ekanth Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government, Pawar said, There is a serious question of law and order in the state. Attacks on women, gangs with koytas (sharp edged weapon) are serious issues. The state government is incapable of maintaining law and order.
The opposition has been attacking the Shinde government over communal flare-ups in several places over posters of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb and 18th century Mysore rule Tipu Sultan, as well as crimes against women, including some in which the accused used koytas (type of machete) to hack the victims to death.
They (BJP/Fadnavis) never understood my googly. They lost their wicket. They will not know it because only the bowler knows the technique of googly. Further mocking the BJP, Pawar asked why the party went in for an oath-ceremony after two days (in November despite knowing the NCP had dropped plans to form a government with the BJP).