Maharashtra Opposition demands fresh polls

Speaking to the press at Sena Bhavan on Monday in the backdrop of Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil’s resignation and talks rife of the Chief Minister’s resignation, Uddhav said that the government should own responsibility for the attack and all the ministers should resign. He added that the Prime Minister should also resign and fresh elections held.

With the terror strike in Mumbai lasting close to 60 hours, the government is under severe criticism from all quarters over its handling of the situation.

Though political parties initially refrained from politicising the incidents, the criticism from Opposition leaders is increasing steadily.

He said the party would discuss the possibility of moving a vote of no-confidence against the Congress- NCP dispensation with its ally, the BJP. He came down hard on the government’s failure to maintain coastal security and said that while the city contributed Rs 85,000 crore to the central exchequer, it hardly received any funds from the state and Centre for its protection. Kadam defended the Shiv Sena’s criticism of ATS chief Hemant Karkare for his handling of the Malegaon blast probe.

With reference to the the party mouthpiece Saamna carrying a hard-hitting editorial on Karkare on the day of his death, Kadam said the investigations into the Malegaon blasts, which had seen a sadhvi and a serving army officer being arrested had been proceeding “under the pressure of the state government.”

He alleged that the ATS had been forced to implicate the Sadhvi and its energies had been diverted towards investigating the case, which had ensured that the terror attacks could take place.

“Why was this single point programme being pursued while the law and order situation was on the backseat?” he questioned.