Congress ministers and office bearers in the state have a new diktat to follow: They cannot wear flashy clothes and accessories while visiting drought-affected regions in the state.
And this is not all. They have also been asked not to spend lavishly on marriages or indulge in extravagant expenditures in any form due to the drought.
The directive comes after a furore was caused over the swanky wedding celebrations of state urban minister Bhaskar Jadhav’s children.
“Not just the ministers, but all office bearers and Congressmen in the state have to adhere to a certain conduct while visiting drought-ridden areas. It is necessary to not look out of place around people facing hardships and show them that we are just like them,” Maharashtra Congress president Manikrao Thakre said.
A Congressman in the state said, “This is one of the worst droughts that the state is facing and a lot of people are angry about it. Therefore, it is better that, as ministers and senior leaders, they do not go to these places in anything too flashy and attract the ire of these people even more.”
Earlier, Sonia Gandhi had targeted the ostentatious lifestyle of some Congressmen.
“In our party, there are many who lead a lavish way of life, and the way they splurge on weddings and birthday celebrations causes distress. This gives one the impression that our concern for the poor is only a farce,” she had said.
Thakre further said that a committee to be led by former Union minister Murali Deora has been set up and that Congress representatives from Mumbai will be gathering funds and finding ways to help victims of the drought.
The Congressman is on the committee himself.
@DNA
