Maharashtra: Legislators stand by MLA Bachchu Kadu

Legislators across parties on Thursday came out in support of arrested MLA, Bachchu Kadu. Kadu was arrested for allegedly slapping a government official on Wednesday night after which the Mantralaya staff went on a flash strike. Legislators said that Kadu was fighting for a common man who had been denied justice. They pointed out how officials were not serving the public in the stipulated time, despite government having implemented the the Right to Services Act. The House was adjourned three times over the issue.

Speaker of the house, Haribhau Bagde, instructed the government to direct officials not to keep files pending. “Not only MLAs but people are also not happy about works kept pending by officials. The government should come up with a strict law to clear files,” he said.

Leader of Opposition, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, raised the issue in the house and said that officials who refrained from performing their duties were never arrested. Referring to the police beating Shiv Sena and Congress MLAs in Sindhudurg recently, Sena leader Gulabrao Patil said that Kadu was trying to help a poor man. “Why has an atrocity crime has been registered against Kadu Why did the official not complete the work in two years when the state government has already implemented Right to Services Act ” questioned Mr Patil, demanding that the official be booked too. The Sena leader also asked who had given state officials the right to go on strike after the alleged incident.

NCP group leader, Jayant Patil, questioned the government’s role in the whole issue. “Kadu was immediately arrested after the complaint. But what did the government do in connection with beating of MLAs Nitesh Rane and Vaibhav Naik by an IPS official ”

Kadu slapped a deputy secretary, Bhausaheb Gavit, in the general administration department of Mantralaya on Wednesday. Kadu had requested the official to allow an associate to live in the government quarters, as his family member was not well. However, Mr Kadu has denied hitting the official though he surrendered before police last night. This was not the first incident that Mr Kadu has beaten some official. A year ago, in Vidarbha, he had slapped another official for not doing work.

Taking cognisance of the matter, revenue minister Eknath Khadse proposed that a code of conduct be introduced to avoid conflicts between legislators and government officials.

“We have repeatedly issued instructions that officials should behave politely with legislators. I have told the chief secretary to seek information on the Kadu incident. The MLA was arrested after he personally complained in the matter. The government will protect legislators but such conflicts are not good for the state. Both should follow code of conduct,” said Mr Khadse.