Maha Cong chief criticises govt on law & order front, demands full-time home minister

Pune: Congress state unit chief Harshvardhan Sapkal on Saturday said the Devendra Fadnavis-led govt had completely failed to maintain law and order in Maharashtra, and the state should have a dedicated home minister.
Sapkal, on his maiden visit to the city after taking charge as the party's state chief, claimed that the govt was shielding those involved in criticising Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and provoking people by spreading wrong information. "Recent attacks, rapes and murder of Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh are examples of unstable law and order in the state. The govt has not been able to maintain harmony and peace. Why is there no full-time home minister despite the state being in a critical situation ?" Sapkal asked.
He said Pune had been known as an education hub for several years, but the law and order situation had worsened in the city. Sapkal claimed that drugs were coming to the city from Gujarat, but the state home department had not been able to trace it. He said the home ministry was ignoring it and it was a matter of concern.
The Congress leader said BJP was against the decentralisation of power and hence, the state govt was not in favour of holding the elections of local self-governing bodies. "BJP wants to remain in power at the Centre and the state. For this, it is trying to postpone the local body elections in the state by creating legal obstacles. On the other hand, Congress has always supported the concept of dissemination of power to the grassroot level," Sapkal said.
He said Congress was reaching out to people in the state on various issues the Mahayuti govt had not been able to handle. Unemployment, farmers' plight and farmers' suicides were major issues in the state, but the Mahayuti govt was ignoring these problems, he said.