Cong MP slams Fadnavis for 'paid trolls' remarks, says questioning govt not defaming Maharashtra

Mumbai, Jul 8 (PTI) Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad on Wednesday hit back at Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis over his remarks terming critics of infrastructure projects as "paid trolls", saying questioning the government cannot be equated with defaming the state. In a statement here, Gaikwad insisted raising concerns over alleged poor quality of work on infrastructure projects worth thousands of crores, potholes, accidents and the misuse of public funds was a democratic right and should not invite personal attacks. "The Chief Minister says, 'Defame me, but I won't spare anyone who defames Maharashtra.' He should first introspect on who is actually defaming Maharashtra," the statement said. Referring to the 'Missing Link' project on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, she maintained those seeking accountability over alleged substandard work, safety issues and expenditure of public money were not maligning the state's image. The Lok Sabha MP from Mumbai North Central alleged that projects developing defects within months, allegations of corruption, poor planning and attempts to evade responsibility by those in power caused greater damage to Maharashtra's reputation. Gaikwad said governments should respond to criticism with facts and transparency rather than branding critics as "paid agents" or "paid trolls". "In a democracy, citizens have the right to seek transparency in projects built with public money and hold the government accountable," she asserted, adding Maharashtra's prestige is strengthened through good governance and accountability rather than rhetoric. The BJP-led Mahayuti government is facing criticism after a landslide triggered by overnight heavy rainfall disrupted traffic on the Missing Link section of the expressway on Monday. Traffic remained suspended for more than 18 hours before authorities restored vehicular movement on the route. The connecting link, which opened to traffic on May 1, is a 13.3-km alignment on the busy 94-km-long expressway featuring two twin tunnels. It bypasses the Lonavala-Khandala ghat section and is designed to reduce the travel distance by 5.7 km and cut journey time between Mumbai and Pune by 20 to 30 minutes. PTI MR RSY