Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis alleges that the Cockroach Janata Party is one of the forms in which "ultra-leftist anarchist forces" have been regrouping With the Congress, the Left parties and the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) protesting against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis alleged that the CJP was trying to exploit the vacuum in the opposition space. Accusing the CJP of being part of efforts by ultra-left groups to overthrow the prevailing system and usher in “anarchy”, Fadnavis, who is also the state’s home minister, dismissed speculation that he would shift to New Delhi for a role in the Union cabinet.“Some protests are genuine, focusing on the problems of people like farmers, tribals and students, but some others are manufactured,” said Fadnavis. “If we see the design of the CJP protests, it’s clear that they want to occupy the vacuum left by a weak opposition.
There is a design of the ultra-leftist anarchist forces, who want to regroup through various means, and one of these forms is the CJP. These people have lost the ideological battle, and are aware that the people will not support their ideology.
So, they are now focusing on issues.”Fadnavis alleged that while the Congress and the CJP claimed to be fighting for upholding and protecting the Constitution, they were demonising institutions like the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Election Commission of India (ECI), the Supreme Court and the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), to show that the Constitution and these institutions could not deliver justice to them. “These people want to establish an ultra-leftist system. Under this design, they want to usher in a system of anarchy,” he alleged.Recalling how some protestors during the CJP’s agitation at Jantar Mantar in Delhi against NEET paper leaks had abused Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Fadnavis said over 2,000 history sheeters were present at the protest. “If these people (the CJP) had reached Parliament, it would have sent a message to the world that this was such a weak democracy, such a weak country, that people could enter Parliament and commit acts of vandalism,” he said.
The chief minister said they would address the young generation in their language and lexicon, in order to understand and engage with them. “If you believe in democracy, then you must engage with everyone. We even negotiated with the ultra-left and the Naxals, but this does not mean we agree with their ideology,” he said.Denying that the public mood was turning against the BJP, the CM pointed to how his party swept the local body elections in Tripura, which had been conducted not on electronic voting machines (EVMs), but on ballot papers. “Sometimes, an agitation may be leaderless.
Those who claim to be its leaders cannot control the people. They become leaders, but the people do not mobilise under their leadership,” Fadnavis said.“I go to Delhi as a pravaasi (traveller) and not as a nivasi (resident),” said Fadnavis, when asked about speculations about him shifting to the national capital. “My party and my leaders want me to work in Maharashtra.
When the time comes, I will go there Everything has a time. For now, my time is in Maharashtra Later, if my leaders ask me to come to Delhi, I will go to Delhi.”The most urgent task, he said, was tackling this year’s drought in Maharashtra due to the impact of El Nino. “Almost 75 per cent of Maharashtra is suffering from crop losses,” he said. “Drinking water will be a problem, as will be fodder for livestock.”Subscribe to India Today Magazine- Ends