Cong hits out at Mahayuti, says farmers in Maharashtra most neglected
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Sunday hit out at the ruling Mahayuti coalition in Maharashtra, saying it has been formed on "betrayal" and that the people of the state will not forgive them for their "failed" promises.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged that farmers were the most neglected in the state as the grand promises made to them have yielded nothing.
He also highlighted how the promise of building a water grid from Marathwada to provide piped drinking water to every village was never fulfilled.
"The Mahayuti is a Government formed on betrayal - of loyalty, of ideology, and of Maharashtra people themselves. Farmers have been among the most neglected, strung along by the Government with grand promises that have yielded nothing," Ramesh alleged in a post on X.
"Those who promised Jalyukt Shivar have only delivered on Jalmukt Shivar. Maharashtra will not forgive them," the Congress leader said.
In 2019, he claimed, then Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis promised a Rs 20,000 to 25,000 crore package to build a water grid from Marathwada that would supply piped drinking water to every village.
"Summer this year marked five years of this promise - and it was one of the most water-scarce years that Marathwada has faced. More than 600 villages and 178 hamlets in Marathwada were dependent on water tankers amidst an acute drinking water shortage," he said.
Only 19 percent drinking water was left in reservoirs compared to 40 percent last year, the Congress leader claimed.
"The Godavari river, the lifeline of Marathwada, was also left throttled, with the 88 crores allegedly allocated to its cleaning in 2022 resulting in no meaningful improvement in water quality," Ramesh alleged.
The Congress attack on the ruling coalition of the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP came ahead of the November 20 assembly elections, where as part of the MVA, the Congress along with Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena and Sharad Pawar's NCP, is seeking to wrest power from the Mahayuti alliance.
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Family of injured driver in murder of Suvendu's aide seeks exemplary punishment
Kolkata (PTI): The family of Buddhabeb Bera, the driver injured in the shooting that killed BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari's close aide Chandranath Rath, demanded exemplary punishment for those responsible and urged the new government to ensure such incidents do not happen in West Bengal.
Rath was shot dead in Madhyamgram near Kolkata on Wednesday night, triggering a political storm in the state. Bera, who was driving the vehicle at the time of the attack, sustained gunshot wounds and is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital.
Family members said they learned about the incident through television and immediately left for Kolkata.
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"We came to know from TV reports that my nephew had been shot. We still do not know who carried out the attack or why it happened," Buddhabeb's uncle Biswajit Bera said.
"Our only wish now is that he recovers and returns home safely," he added.
Buddhabeb, 25, hails from Majnaberia village in the Chandipur police station area in Purba Medinipur district.
According to family members, he mostly stays in Kolkata for work and visits home occasionally during weekends.
Besides his parents, his younger brother, sister-in-law and several relatives have also travelled to Kolkata following the incident.
Demanding strict action against the perpetrators, the uncle said, "We want the government to conduct a proper investigation and identify those directly involved in the crime. They should be given exemplary punishment so that such incidents do not happen again in West Bengal and no other family has to go through this grief."
A neighbour, Ranjana Ghorai, also sought stringent punishment for those behind the attack.
"In our neighbourhood, we call him Sona. We want exemplary punishment for the people responsible for this incident," she said.
Rath's family members have demanded life imprisonment for the accused, while Adhikari has called for capital punishment for those involved in the killing.
