Opposition says Fadnavis helpless because of ‘alliance dharma’ | As Bordikar, Shirsat stoke row, CM jumps to their defence: Ministers sometimes speak jokingly

“If we make an issue out of everything, it won’t be appropriate,” the chief minister said.

As for Social Justice Minister Sanjay Shirsat, Fadnavis said, “I don’t think what Shirsat said is wrong.” Regarding Bordikar, Fadnavis said, “I have spoken to her and she told me that the media has not shown her complete statement. I will be discussing her statement with her.”

On Saturday, Shirsat found himself in the eye of another storm after making a public statement at an event that people should ask for any amount, he as a minister will sanction it.

The money, he said, “is not going from our father’s pockets”. The opposition quickly slammed him, calling his attitude toward public money as a “’cavalier”.

Shirsat, however, defended his statement.

“I was trying to encourage people to take funds under various welfare schemes of the government. What I meant to say was that money belonged to the people and it was not anyone’s wealth,” he said.

Last month, a video surfaced showing Shirsat lying on his bed at his home with an unzipped bag of cash on the floor.

On Sunday, Minister of State Meghna Bordikar triggered a row after a video showing her allegedly threatening to slap a gram sevak if he fails to bring beneficiaries of a government scheme to a public function surfaced. Opposition Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar Saturday shared the video, shot during an event at Jintur in the Parbhani district, on social media.

In a post on X, written in Marathi, Pawar said, “A minister has threatened to slap a gram sevak if he failed to bring the beneficiary of a government scheme to the government function. Who has given her the power to threaten the gram sevak?”

Taking a jibe at CM Fadnavis, Pawar added, ”What kind of a minister have you succeeded in picking? With such ministers, it is an affront not just your Cabinet but the state of Maharashtra.”

Reacting to the video of her speech, Bordikar, the two-time MLA from Jintur, said, ”I expressed my anger at a function yesterday. At the function, zilla parishad officials were present. This particular gram sevak was not taking the welfare schemes being implemented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to the poor people. He was creating impediments.”

She said women labourers had informed her that the gram sevak was not giving them government funds and telling them to repeatedly go to the sarpanch’s house.

“I lost cool because the women labourers had complained to me about the harassment from the gram sevak,” said Bordikar, who is the Minister of State for Public Health, Water Supply and Sanitation, Energy, Women and Child Development, and Public Works (Public Undertakings). She is also the Guardian Minister of the Parbhani district.

Hitting back at Pawar and the Opposition, she said, ”The video was edited and what I said before making the statement and after has not been shown.”

The Sena (UBT) said the Chief Minister and his government has become helpless because of the “alliance dharma”.

“I have never seen a chief minister who is so helpless. No one can seek any answer from anyone in his cabinet,” Uddhav Thackeray said, adding that his party will state state-wide protests against corruption of Fadnavis ministers.

Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray in a tweet took a jibe at the Chief Minister said, “Because of the helplessness of the alliance dharma, Shirsat will soon get the finance ministry. Happy Friendship Day, CMO Maharashtra. When those who play Rummy get sports ministry, then because of the helplessness of alliance dharma, he will get finance ministry.”

Earlier, eight ministers, including Shirsat, were in the line of fire and their possible exclusion had become imminent after they landed themselves in controversies. However, they got a reprieve with the Chief Minister warning them to behave properly or face action.