Mumbai, July 10, 2026
In a fiery, multi-pronged address in the Legislative Council on Friday, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde fiercely defended the ruling alliance, tearing into the opposition’s “media trials” while laying out a comprehensive roadmap of the government’s public welfare and infrastructure achievements.
Responding to last week’s opposition-moved resolution, Shinde dismissed rumours of alliance rifts, mocked the Thackeray faction’s sudden spiritual shift, and delivered critical updates on state infrastructure and farmer relief.
Launching a direct counter-attack against critics trying to drive a wedge between him and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Shinde affirmed their absolute mutual trust. To cement his stance, he captured the floor of the House by reciting a poignant Urdu couplet dedicated to Fadnavis:
“Hum wo nahi jo dil tod denge, Thaam kar haath, phir saath chhod denge. Paani ki tarah dosti hamari, Koi kitna bhi chahe, hum juda nahi honge.”
(We are not those who break hearts or let go after holding hands. Our friendship is like water; no matter how much anyone tries, we cannot be separated.)
Addressing opposition chatter surrounding veteran leader Sharad Pawar’s recent visit to his office, Shinde clarified that the meeting was purely a matter of hospitality, not political manoeuvring. He explained that Pawar had used his chamber after a meeting on a border dispute, while Shinde was in a cabinet session.
“Sharad Pawar is a senior leader. As soon as I learned he was in my office, I welcomed him with a traditional shawl and coconut as per Maharashtra’s culture,” Shinde said, adding that criticism over this was “heartburn and envy.”
In an unexpected move, Shinde also commended Milind Narvekar, a close aide of Uddhav Thackeray and a Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC, for showing the “courage to speak the truth” regarding safety facts on the Mumbai–Pune Expressway ‘Missing Link’ project, slamming other opposition leaders for criticising without verifying facts.
Shinde took a swipe at the Uddhav Thackeray faction’s “Ram Raksha” protest campaign, sarcastically remarking that “some people only care about ‘Daam’ (money/power) when in power, and remember ‘Ram’ only after losing it.” He mocked the Shiv Sena (UBT)’s flaming torch symbol, saying they claimed Lord Hanuman burned Lanka with a torch. “If their symbol had been a cigarette lighter, they probably would have claimed Hanuman used a lighter to burn down Lanka,” he quipped.
Insisting that the House should be used to solve public issues rather than stage media trials, Shinde provided governance updates. While heavy downpours hit Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, and Palghar after July 1, parts of Vidarbha and Marathwada are still awaiting adequate rainfall.
He noted that 50 to 55 per cent of sowing is complete and assured farmers would not be left stranded. He highlighted that thousands of crores have already been allocated for crop damage compensation, snail-inflicted crop loss assistance, and loan waivers up to Rs 2 lakh.
For the annual pilgrimage to Pandharpur and Alandi, Shinde detailed unprecedented arrangements including toll waivers for pilgrims, deployment of 5,500 state transport buses, healthcare facilities, mobile toilets, and dedicated air ambulance services.
Defending the ‘Missing Link’ project, Shinde validated its stringent safety parameters, emphasising that, upon completion, it will slash travel time between Mumbai and Pune by 40 minutes and yield daily fuel savings of Rs 1 crore.
He concluded with a stern warning to the opposition, stating that baseless attacks on vital development projects only damage Maharashtra’s progressive image.(Agency)
FOLLOW NOW
