With questions being raised over Devendra Fadnavis’ reluctance to address the media in case of major events, a senior Maharashtra minister today said the Chief Minister wants to accord importance to bureaucrats and empower them to speak in such situations.
Recently, Maharashtra’s Additional Chief Secretary (Home) K P Bakshi had announced the state government’s decision to hand over the Sheena Bora murder case to CBI, while he largely kept himself away from commenting on the issue.
“The Chief Minister has categorically told us that he intends to push bureaucrats ahead who until now had refrained from speaking on events considered to have significant impact on the image of the state,” the Cabinet minister said.
Fadnavis has been influenced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s style of governance wherein he prefers to empower bureaucrats and accord a degree of importance to them, he said.
However, the Opposition Congress and NCP said that putting the onus on bureaucrats will only ensure that the “hidden agenda” of the BJP-led government does not come out in front of the people of the state.
“Everybody knows how important was the Sheena Bora case. It was imperative for the Chief Minister to have addressed the media and told the people of the country this government’s intention of handing over the case to the CBI,” Congress MLC Manikrao Thakre said.
“If the CM and other ministers don’t speak up and make bureaucrats speak, how will the people know the hidden intentions of the government behind its decisions?” he said.
NCP leader Jitendra Awhad said Fadnavis has become shy of speaking about the decisions of the Home department following some recent incidents.
“The Chief Minister represents the state. Decisions pertaining to law and order need to come out of the horse’s mouth. It is the people’s government,” he said.
“Bureaucrats are functionaries who follow the instructions of government and implement decisions taken by the ministers. They never speak. Following some incidents, he is shy to face the press related to the Home department issues,” Awhad said.
