BJP government fooling people on Vidarbha statehood: Vikhe Patil

NAGPUR: Launching a scathing attack on the BJP-led government, leader of opposition in Maharashtra assembly, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, on Thursday said that the state government was fooling the people of Vidarbha on statehood issue.
Speaking during a discussion on various issues plaguing Vidarbha and Marathwada regions, he said the BJP leaders had made hollow promises to the people on separating Vidarbha from Maharashtra, just for seeking votes.Since last two years of their rule, they only talk about development, while forgetting the promises made to the people of Vidarbha on granting statehood.
He singled out MLA Ashish Deshmukh stating that he sat on hunger strike for the Vidarbha statehood, a couple of years back, but later failed to raise the issue under pressure from the BJP top brass.
Patil said the saffron alliance under chief minister Devendra Fadnavis was taking credit of all projects like Mihan and Nagpur Metro Railway, but foundation of both and many other projects was laid by the then Congress-NCP government.
"The metro plan was introduced by Democratic Front government in 2014. But due to change in centre, we couldn't perform its ground breaking ceremony. Governments come and go, but development works must continue. This government is only keen on taking credits. We're satisfied that their only credit is they expedited the projects started by us," he informed the lower house.