Mumbai, Nov 3 Maharashtra's opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi on Friday slammed the presence of "a dubious drug addict" who was allegedly invited to the official residence of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to perform a pooja during Ganeshotsav along with other celebrities.
The person is YouTuber and social media influencer Siddharth alias Elvish Yadav, who was present and seen performing an aarti at the CM’s home on Septemeber 25, at the height of the Ganeshosav festival.
Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Vijay Wadettiwar of the Congress said that not only was a "toxic drug addict" like Elvish Yadav present, he was also accorded hospitality by the CM and felicitated with a shawl and coconut.
"The CM had invited Elvish Yadav to ‘Varsha’ bungalow.. and now, he (Elvish) has been booked by police for committing the serious crime of making, consuming and selling drugs derived from snake venom," he said.
Shiv Sena-UBT Deputy Leader Sushma Andhare sought to know how could a person accused of making drugs from snake venom reached the CM’s bungalow, interact with him and even allowed to perform a pooja there.
Demanding to know whether the CM’s official residence ‘Varsha’ has become a "tourist hotspot" for junkies, state Congress chief spokesperson Atul Londhe demanded to know the circumstance leading to Elvish Yadav’s presence as a "special invitee" at the high security zone.
"This Elvish Yadav who organises rave parties using venomous snakes is booked by Noida Police for the offence, and live poisonous snakes too have been recovered," he said.
Nationalist Congress Party-SP national spokesperson Clyde Crasto wondered if the CM was so busy in self-publicity and self-promotion that a person with such antecedents managed to gain access inside ‘Varsha’.
"If the credentials of such a person reportedly linked with banned substances like snake venom are not verified properly, then what is the guarantee of the safety and security of the ordinary masses with such elements freely moving around?" he asked.
Wadettiwar asked if the CM is attempting to promote an 'intoxicated person' like Elvish Yadav as a ‘role model’ for the state’s youth and entertaining a person who uses abusive language against women.
Londhe recalled that during the tenure of former CM Devendra Fadnavis, the pictures of Pune’s dreaded gangster, Kamlakar alias Baba Bodke with him had surfaced in 2016, creating a furore.
In a sensational development today, Elvish Yadav has been booked by the Noida police for allegedly supplying deadly snakes and venom for a rave party from where nine snakes were also recovered.
Based on a complaint filed by the NGO, People For Animals (PFA), police swooped on a party hall and arrested five persons, though Elvish Yadav has denied the allegations, and is believed to be absconding.
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