Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday warned the council of ministers not to force him to take action against them if they embroil themselves in controversies again and again, denting the image of the government and giving ammunition to the opposition and critics, sources have told NDTV.
The Chief Minister, said sources, spoke with ministerial colleagues after the cabinet meeting and told them that controversial statements and actions will not be tolerated at all.
"If such things keep happening, the government will be defamed. This is the last chance, we will take whatever action we have to, but we will not tolerate any kind of controversial actions," a source quoting the Chief Minister told NDTV.
The Chief Minister's statements come in the wake of several ministers making the headlines for stoking controversies.
The ministers, including agriculture minister Manikrao Kokate, social justice minister Sanjay Shirsat, school education minister Dadaji Bhuse and the minister of state for home, Yogesh Kadam, were under the Chief Minister's radar in connection with various controversies.
A senior minister who attended the meeting said Mr Fadnavis told the ministers that the controversies are encroaching on the good works and achievements of the government.
The Chief Minister's warning came after the government faced a major embarrassment when Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate's video about playing rummy in the state council went viral.
After the demand for his resignation by the opposition and farmers' organisations, he sparked another row, saying the government is the beggar and not the farmers.
Minister Kokate today also met his party chief and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and apologised for his act, sources have told NDTV.
Mr Pawar, say sources, has warned the Minister.
Minister Shirsat's video about a bag full of currency notes went viral giving the opposition an opportunity to demand his resignation.
Further, the issue of the tender of Sambhajinagar hotel bagged by social justice minister Sanjay Shirsat's son despite a lack of necessary eligibility conditions was raised by the leader of the opposition in the state council, Ambadas Danve. Although the minister's son has withdrawn from the tendering process after much noise, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced a high-level probe into the matter.
School education minister Dadaji Bhuse is being cornered by the opposition over the alleged irregularities in the recruitment process.
Similarly, the ruling establishment became uncomfortable after Shiv Sena legislator Anil Parab levelled serious allegations against Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam's son and minister of state for home, Yogesh Kadam, over the illegal sand trading and dance bar raids. That prompted the chief minister to announce that if there is any truth in the material, he will take further action, while Yogesh Kadam outside the House said he would at an appropriate time prove that the allegations were false.
Minister of Soil and Water Conservation Sanjay Rathod sparked the controversy over the recruitment and postings in his department.
Kadam was yet another name in an already growing list of ministers and legislators from Shiv Sena after Sanjay Shirsat, Sanjay Rathod and Sanjay Gaikwad, who have landed in controversy in this monsoon session of the legislature.
Opposition has hit out at the Mahayuti government for being insensitive towards farmers.
Vijay Wadettiwar of the Congress said, "Not taking the resignation of the Agriculture Minister means that the government is insensitive towards farmers. The government that does not take the resignation of the tainted ministers should sanctify these ministers by sprinkling cow urine."
Anil Parab, from Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena, met Devendra Fadnavis at Mantralay and submitted proofs against Minister of State for Home, Yogesh Kadam, and demanded the Minister's resignation.
"On the last day of the monsoon session of the legislature, I had raised the issue of the dance bar running in the name of mother of Minister of State for Home, Yogesh Kadam. This dance bar is running in the name of the Minister of State for Home, and this is tarnishing the image of the Maharashtra government. I have given all the evidence for the allegations I have made. Now I have demanded from the Chief Minister that he should investigate all the evidence and take action against the Minister of State for Home," said Mr Parab.
