Guilty in Covid irregularities will not be spared: Shinde

Mumbai: Reiterating that the action will be taken against those found guilty in the alleged irregularities by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) during the Covid-19 pandemic, chief minister Eknath Shinde took a dig at his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray.

Without naming Thackeray, Shinde called him ‘maha gaddar’ for betraying the Bharatiya Janata Party and the ideology of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray.

Speaking in the Assembly on the concluding day of the monsoon session of state legislature, Shinde alleged the corruption reached its peak during the previous government. “When people were struggling for their life during the pandemic, the corruption under the leadership of the former CM was at its peak. Right from setting up jumbo Covid centres, purchasing body bags for ₹6,000 against the original price of ₹400, the contracts were given to their own leaders without any eligibility. Our government will conduct a thorough probe and ensure that nobody was spared,” he said.

“They call us (40 MLAs from Shinde faction) gaddars and the government khoke sarkar, but in fact we as original Shiv Sena returned them (UBT faction) ₹50 crore from the party treasury. They requested us for the fund and we immediately transferred them as we do not want their assets or property. We are committed to the ideology of Balasaheb. They are fascinated by money and have nothing to do with the party, party workers, or ideology,” the CM said.

The CM said that it was unethical to claim the party fund, but they have conceded to give the amount to them. “I do not know what will happen to it? Where will it go? he questioned.

Shinde also said that his government will amend the existing laws related to housing and urban development to facilitate Marathi manoos to come back to the city from far flung suburbs.

Reacting to the CM’s statements, leader of the opposition, Vijay Wadettiwar said, “The CM does not think beyond his former party’s chief and it deviates them from the real issues of the people.”