Amid the ongoing tussle within the ruling Mahayuti alliance to claim credit for bringing back tourists from Maharashtra who were stuck in J&K after the terror attack near Pahalgam, ruling BJP’s state unit chief and Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Friday denied the allies were trying to score political points over the issue.
Bawankule said there was nothing wrong in both state Cabinet Minister Girish Mahajan and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde going to Srinagar to coordinate efforts to bring back tourists from the state. He said while the Maharashtra government sent Mahajan to Srinagar as the state Disaster Management Minister, Shinde went as leader of his party.
“There is no miscommunication and no tussle over claiming credit. There is nothing wrong in Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde going there neither in Girish Mahajan going there as he is the disaster management minister. Mahajan went there as disaster management minister. Shinde went there as leader of a political party. We did not send others to avoid VVIP movement,” said Bawankule, adding that the government’s priority is to bring stranded tourists back and not about claiming credit.
On Thursday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ office and Shinde’s office released respective numbers of tourists who have returned to Maharashtra from Srinagar. Hours after CMO’s statement announcing the return of around 500 tourists, Shinde’s office released a statement claiming the Shiv Sena has brought back 520 tourists to Mumbai on special flights arranged by the party.
“We have brought back those who were in a state of panic and those who were stuck due to closure of roads. Now tourists who have arrangements of their own are there… we are telling them they can return as per their reservations. Bringing all of them back will take time. We are making arrangements for those who are coming back as per their bookings. Mahajan is there for this. We are bringing back those who are in panic mode or scared,” said Fadnavis. He did not name Shinde or mentioned about his trip to Srinagar to bring tourists back.
Fadnavis also slammed ally Shiv Sena’s Lok Sabha MP Naresh Mhaske for his comments boasting about bringing back stranded tourists by flights. “I think sometimes senses are lost while speaking and it results in slip of tongue. His statement is not correct and he should not make such a statement,” he said.
Mhaske landed in a controversy on Thursday after he remarked that it was because of Shinde that those who had never travelled by flight could do so. “Government is helping, but we too know our responsibility and brought 75 tourists yesterday (Wednesday) by a special flight. Around 185 tourists came on Thursday afternoon and 185 tourists will come by night (Thursday. There are 45 tourists from Wardha and Nagpur, who had gone there by trains and are staying in a CRPF camp,” he said.
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Meanwhile, Shinde, who returned from Srinagar, announced Rs 5 lakh financial aid to the family of Syed Adil Hussain Shah, 29, a Kashmiri youth who also died in the terror attack while trying to save the lives of tourists. Shinde also announced to assist in building his dilapidated house.