By IANS,
Mumbai: Boycotting the pre-budget tea party hosted by Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan Sunday, the opposition signalled that the budget session of the legislature that kicks off Monday later will be a stormy affair, with issues like corruption and debt topping its agenda.
The six-week budget session is expected to see the Congress-led government face pointed questions on the murder of Malegaon additional collector Yashwant Sonawane, the Jaitapur nuclear power project and inflation.
Supporting the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on its stand, the Shiv Sena may also question the alleged irregularities in cooperative and agricultural sectors.
“The state has a huge debt of Rs.2.36 lakh crore. We will raise questions on how the money has been spent,” Shiv Sena legislator Nitin Sardesai told IANS.
“Along with the BJP, we have also not attended the tea party hosted by the chief minister to register our unhappiness over several scams,” he added.
The opposition may also attempt to confront the chief minister, who was earlier a minister of state in the Prime Minister’s Office, on the controversy surrounding the shortlisting of P.J. Thomas for the post of chief vigilance commissioner, which has been struck down by the Supreme Court.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, while addressing parliament had passed the onus on preparing Thomas’ file.