Congress's Atul Londhe asks if Fadnavis will act against BJP leaders over crores spent on garba during drought

Maharashtra is facing a drought worse than that of 1972, with 305 talukas hit, Congress senior spokesperson Atul Londhe has said. He said farmers and ordinary people are suffering greatly. On one side there is inflation, and on the other there is no drinking water, no fodder for cattle and no money to pay students' school fees, he said. With Dussehra and Diwali near, people have no money in hand for the festivals, Londhe noted.

At such a time, leaders of the ruling BJP are squandering nearly Rs 100 crore on lavish events, Londhe alleged. He asked whether Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis would show the courage to take the resignations of such insensitive leaders.

According to Londhe, Navratri is under way and the goddess is being worshipped, but given the present situation the festival could be celebrated simply. The public is told to economise, while BJP leaders are spending crores by organising garba in the name of the festival, he said. Londhe alleged that BJP state president Ravindra Chavan, minister Ashish Shelar, MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar, and former MPs Gopal Shetty, Sanjay Upadhyay and Vinod Shelar have spent lavishly on garba. He called it a cruel joke on drought-scorched farmers and a perverse act that rubs salt in their wounds.

Londhe gave details of the event in Dombivli. According to him, Chavan has organised a Namo Namo Navratri Utsav there. A large air-conditioned pavilion has been put up for garba at the Sant Savlaram Maharaj sports complex, with large chandeliers and electric lighting, big welcome arches, and a glare of LED screens and LED lights. He alleged that lakhs of rupees were squandered on this. He said 10,000 to 15,000 people take part every day.

Londhe laid out the figures as follows: the 7,000 sq ft indoor platform and 20,000 sq ft outdoor platform cost Rs 60 lakh. The pavilion has a 2,000-tonne air conditioner whose rental is Rs 60 lakh a day. Sound and lights cost Rs 25 lakh a day, and the rent for 25 generator sets for the pavilion is Rs 6.5 lakh a day.

Londhe said well-known Gujarati folk singers and dancers have been brought in for crores of rupees. Nilesh Gadhvi charges Rs 1 crore to Rs 2 crore for Navratri, while singers Kavita Ram, Sagar Kendurkar, Madhavi Shrivastava and Anshika Chonkar, whose fee is Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh a day, are performing. A Symphony band accompanies the singers. Music and performers have cost Rs 4 crore to Rs 5 crore in all, he said. Londhe also said the organisers spend Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh a day on floral decoration, Chavan spends Rs 1 crore to Rs 1.5 crore a day, and the total budget is around Rs 18 crore to Rs 20 crore.

Londhe said that not only Chavan, but also minister Ashish Shelar and MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar have organised garba events on which crores of rupees are being spent every day. He alleged that Chief Minister Fadnavis had appealed for festivals to be celebrated simply in view of the drought, but state president Chavan and the ministers and MLAs have flouted that appeal. Atul Londhe also said the government has announced aid of only Rs 5,000 for drought-hit farmers, while BJP ministers and MLAs in the same government are squandering Rs 10 crore to Rs 15 crore a day on Navratri and garba events.

Meanwhile, a pillar-worship ceremony was held on the Beed bypass in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar for the grand drama Praudh Pratap Purandar. Guardian Minister Sanjay Shirsat, minister Atul Save, former minister Bhagwat Karad and several other leaders were present. Questions are being asked: the history of Shivaji should reach the new generation, but why spend crores in a drought on a grand event for it, and should leaders have no social conscience when the drought is severe in Marathwada?