Irked Prithviraj Chavan won’t share stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Mumbai: Even as the Union cabinet on Wednesday approved the 38.215 km-long Nagpur Metro project, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said that he would boycott the laying of the foundation stone of the project.
Mr Chavan was sulking because he was allegedly heckled in a function in Solapur last week in the presence of the PM. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to lay the foundation stone of the project in Nagpur on Thursday.
“The recent incidents that occurred in Haryana and also in Solapur of Maharashtra during the Prime Minister’s programme were politically motivated and improper. Keeping this in view, I have decided to boycott the event of laying a foundation stone for the Nagpur Metro project to be held on Thursday,” said the CM.
Surprising that Maharashtra CM is boycotting PM's program,i had even called him yesterday and asked him to come-Vinod Tawde,BJP
— ANI (@ANI_news) August 21, 2014Mr Chavan, who accompanied the PM to Solapur in western Maharashtra for the inauguration of the four-laned National Highway 9 on Saturday, had to stop speaking during the function as the crowd began to chant Mr Modi’s name.
The Congress party has maintained that it was Mr Modi’s supporters who created the ruckus. “Modi supporters created disturbance and the PM did not utter a word. This is dangerous for the democracy,” a Congress leader said.
“In a federal system, the Prime Minister represents the whole country. As chief ministers, we are also expected to express our problems to him to get some relief for the people. But some unexpected incidents have come before us,” said the CM, justifying the boycott.
Maharashtra’s leader of Opposition in Legislative Council Vinod Tawde lashed out at the CM.
“The CM not choosing to attend the programme in Nagpur sends a clear message to the state that this government can’t work with the Modi government in the Centre and that they must not be elected in the state Assembly elections.”
Over and above the Metro, Mr Modi will inaugurate the super thermal power station of NTPC at Mouda, a grade separator project at Pardi and a flyover on National Highway- 6.
CM went to Vidarbha where he was booed by farmers, they were not BJP workers.Congress must introspect-Vinod Tawde,BJP pic.twitter.com/tViG533q2g
— ANI (@ANI_news) August 21, 2014