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Nagpur: Facing heat from ally Shiv Sena as well as Opposition parties over the separate Vidarbha issue since the past two days, the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis thundered in State Assembly and said “I am the Chief Minister of “Akhand” (entire) Maharashtra and there is no proposal on Vidarbha State at present.”
As soon as the proceedings in the House commenced on Tuesday (August 2) after two days of turmoil over Vidarbha issue, Fadnavis strongly came out with his stand. Shiv Sena MLA and former Mumbai Mayor Sunil Prabhu asked Fadnavis to clarify his stand on the issue. Prabhu also demanded that cases of treason be filed against those who gave slogans for a separate Vidarbha state in the House. “There is no proposal as of this moment for a separate Vidarbha before the State Government,” Fadnavis said. It is not right to discuss an issue which is not pending before this House, he stated.
“I am the Chief Minister of an Akhand Maharashtra,” Fadnavis said and added while BJP has been in favour of smaller states, Sena has opposed it. “Both the parties are in the Government. This is not the Government’s stand.”
Fadnavis appealed to the House to put a stop to the discussion on separate Vidarbha issue. “NCP doesn’t have any right to seek my resignation. People have that right,” he said. “Ask NCP’s Praful Patel who has backed separate Vidarbha. Should we discuss in the House what he has said,” Fadnavis said.
“We have taken an oath to be true to the Constitution. The Constitution provides for a House member to put forth his views on formation of a separate state. A criminal offence cannot be registered against him for this,” Fadnavis asserted.
