By playing victim, Fadnavis accepting he was part of phone-tapping plot: Nana Patole

A – We were impressive in cornering the state government on many issues. The issue of lack of remuneration for paddy was raised by us. The issue is extremely dear for Vidarbha.

Over four to five lakh MPSC aspirants are suffering… It was the Congress which highlighted their issue.

Our joint effort ensured that the Legislative Council sent the Lokayukta bill to the joint committee as the government wanted to bulldoze the Opposition. It was me and Congress legislative party, who highlighted the Surjagad mine issue.

Q – Are you against Surjagad iron ore mine project in Gadchiroli?

A – No, we are not against it. But we feel that this government has not understood the actual potential of this project. It can house a bigger steel plant than Bhilai. It has iron ore deposits which can last for over 400 years. What is happening right now is that the government is favouring only one company. We feel that this project has the potential to bring Gadchiroli’s per capita to the level of Mumbai. It will end the Naxal problem in the area forever and hence, it needs to be handled very carefully.

Q – The Congress was not seen actively participating in the Opposition’s protest against alleged scam of the chief minister and other ministers. What is the reason?

A – It was Congress’s Vikas Thakre who exposed Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Nagpur Improvement Trust scam. We believe in opposition through system. Just because we had less presence while giving slogans, doesn’t mean that we didn’t do our work. We as Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) worked as a team. It is true that the present government did not even announce a single inquiry against the ministers who themselves accepted doing malpractices. Be it Shinde himself or Sattar (Agriculture minister Abdul Sattar), both of them have accepted on record in the assembly all the allegations against them. Despite that no action has been initiated.

Q – Are there differences within the MVA, especially with regard to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar?

A – We all worked as a team. From 9 AM to 10 PM, we all sat in the Assembly and conducted the business. Sadly, both the CM and Deputy CM were not serious. Ministers did not attend the house, CM kept on talking about political issues inside Assembly while deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis made childish claims of being victimised by the previous government.

Q – Fadnavis said MVA had given responsibility to former Mumbai CP Sanjay Pandey to arrest him. What’s your opinion?

A – By saying this, he is accepting that he was part of the plot in which my phone was tapped. Police’s job is to probe allegations. My phone was tapped under a false name when Fadnavis was the CM and home minister. If Pandey was probing those allegations, why was Fadnavis insecure? Is Fadnavis calling police investigation as conspiracy? Let me remind him that the court has refused to accept the closure report submitted by this government against then state intelligence department commissioner Rashmi Shukla. Insecure Fadnavis is blaming MVA to hide his sins.

Q – What was the reason to bring no-confidence motion against the speaker?

A-If you have observed the proceedings of the house, it was clear that Speaker Rahul Narvekar was favouring the ruling side. Irrespective of seriousness of our issues, he either sidelined them or refused to let us speak. NCP MLA Jayant Patil’s suspension was the epitome of dictatorial way of handling the house. We protested but it was decided that we would not be allowed to speak. Ultimately, we were left with no option but to move a no-confidence motion against him (the speaker). We are going to pursue it till the end by bringing it to voting.