Maharashtra raised publicity budget due to fear of Narendra Modi: BJP

The Maharashtra government has doubled its publicity budget due to the fear of Narendra Modi, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ashish Shelar claimed here on Friday.

The BJP MLC, who is president of the Mumbai unit of the party, was speaking during a discussion on supplementary demands in the legislative council.

"The Maharashtra government has made a budgetary provision of Rs 93 crore for publicity for the assembly polls since it fears Narendra Modi," Shelar said, adding that this provision is more than double that of last year.

The Maharashtra government has violated provisions of the budget manual and it should explain this, he said.

Shelar claimed that though the Maharashtra government spent crores of rupees to purchase bullets for a specific gun, the bullets were lying unused in the godown and the guns were unavailable.

Speaking on supplementary demands of the education department, Shelar claimed that the Maharashtra government has not provided grants to Christian educational institutions for the last 11 years.

On the ongoing renovation of the Mantralaya building where a fire broke out two years ago, the BJP member pointed out that two plots were not amalgamated. "I fear that the renovation will be declared illegal like the Adarsh housing society," he said.