'Bribe is Buzz Word in Maharashtra': In 'Saamana', Uddhav Faction Reacts to Amruta Fadnavis Case

Amruta Fadnavis, wife of Maharashtra deputy chief minister, figured in the latest editorial of Shiv Sena’s (UBT) mouthpiece, ‘Saamana’ as the Uddhav Thackeray faction claimed that “money and bribery has become the buzz word” in the state.

“The image of Maharashtra has become that of giving and taking bribe. The question that arises now is: will this state remain the kingdom of saints in future? Maharashtra government (led by Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis) is silent on the Adani row. Anything can happen in this state right now. The rule of law has clearly collapsed. And if this continues, the image of Maharashtra will be shattered,” the Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena said.

The editorial also touched upon the issue of a “designer” trying to bribe the deputy chief minister wife with Rs 1 crore. “Amruta Fadnavis, in this case, is not at fault. What they speak and do is the matter of their personal freedom. But the question is how could a person trying to bribe with Rs 1 crore reach your home. Although Amruta has filed an FIR in this regard, the matter should be thoroughly investigated since it is serious,” Shiv Sen UBT stated.

The editorial further reiterates that the only thing to ponder in this case how dare someone tried to bribe people related to top leaders of the stated. “In other words, the buzz word now in Maharashtra is that everything can be achieved with money and bribery,” the Thackeray group concluded.

The bribery case has been in the headlines since Thursday when it came to light that Devendra Fadnavis’ wife had filed an FIR against a self-proclaimed designer for “trying to bribe her with Rs 1 crore”.

The woman named in the FIR was Aniksha Jaisinghani, the daughter of wanted bookie Anil Jaisinghani. While it was said that she is a designer, a report in India Today stated that Aniksha is a law graduate who posed as a designer to get close to Amruta and seek her help to intervene in a criminal case involving her father.

Her father, Anil Jainsinghani, has multiple cases of betting, threatening, cheating and misleading government officials registered against him in Maharashtra, Goa and Assam and is on the run. The woman was reaching out to people to help her father evade police action.

Aniksha, a resident of Ulhasnagar in Thane district, also allegedly offered to give information on bookies “to help Amruta earn money”. The India Today report quoted its sources as saying that Aniksha tried to win Amruta’s sympathy by saying that she had lost her mother.

Amruta alleged that the woman once lied to her bodyguard and sat in her car. She allegedly told her that her father had been giving information about bookies to the police. “She (Aniksha) offered they can earn money by either instructing the police to take legal action against the bookies or they could also get money from them by not taking any action against them,” the FIR stated. Amruta said she stopped the car and asked the woman to exit. She also said she ignored calls from her.

Maharashtra Farmers’ Protest

The Uddhav Thackeray’s faction also wrote about the farmers’ protest in ‘Saamana’. “Maharashtra farmers have been protesting against the BJP government by throwing onions on the roads, but just like the onions, this government is bringing tears to their eyes. Despite corruption cases coming to the fore everyday in the last six months, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis keep asking what did the previous government do?” read the ‘Saamana’ editorial.

The ‘Kisan Long March’ is likely to be withdrawn on Friday, a day after Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde called his meeting with their delegation positive and said the government would make a statement in the legislature on the issue.

A leader of the “long march” said the farmers and tribals taking part in it would wait in Thane, and the protest will not be withdrawn till the CM makes a statement on the floor of the house. They want the government to “take some concrete measures”.

The foot march, which started from Nashik district four days ago, is in the Thane district, neighbouring Mumbai. CM Shinde is expected to address the Assembly, following which directions will be issued to district collectors and the ‘morcha’ will be rolled back.

The farmers’ demands include an immediate financial relief of Rs 600 per quintal to onion growers, uninterrupted electricity supply for 12 hours and a waiver of agriculture loans.

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