Why can’t the government observe Voters’ Day on some other day instead of July 1 asks opposition?
Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) raised objections against the Fadnavis government’s decision to observe State Voters Day on July 1. Former Chief Minister Vasantrao Naik’s birthday falls on the same date and it is observed as Agriculture Week to recognise his contribution towards the state’s agrarian sector. According to opposition, the government is only trying to ignore the contribution of Naik by celebrating Voters’ Day on the same date. Naik had played a vital role in the promotion of Green Revolution in the state. He had held chief ministerial post from 1963 to 1975.
Even former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar objected the state government’s plan to observe State Voters Day on July 1. He said, “Why is the state government going ahead with its plan to observe State Voters’ Day on the birthday of Vasantrao Naik. By doing this, they are only trying to undermine his contribution to the state’s agricultural economy.”
Leader of Opposition Dhananjay Munde had raised this issue in the council and mentioned that the state government had issued a Government Resolution (GR) and said July 1 will be celebrated as voters day in the state.
He said, “Why can’t the government observe voters day on some other day instead of July 1. Through this act the government is only trying to belittle the significance of former CM Vasantrao Naik,”
When AV spoke to NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik about this matter he refused to comment about it.
Congress member Haribhau Rathod argued that already January 25 is celebrated as National Voters Day. He added that Election Commission of India (ECI) had already fixed 25 January as the National Voters’ Day.
He produced a copy of the ECI order in the House and suggested that either some other day should be fixed as the State Voters’ Day or it should be celebrated on 25 January as per the ECI’s instructions.
On the other hand, leader of the House Chandrakant Patil refuted all the allegations made by opposition as baseless. He said that State Election Commission had decided the date and government had no role in the matter.
“The birth anniversary of Vasantrao Naik and the Agriculture Week will be celebrated on July 1 and there will be no change in the date. The government has no intention to insult Naik. We can just write to the State Commission, but cannot instruct it to change the date,” said Patil.
