Mumbai River Anthem: Opposition seeks clarification from CM Devendra Fadnavis

The Congress in Maharashtra has targeted Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over a video featuring him and his banker-singer wife Amruta and sought to know if the state government had any links with its producers.

Expressing "surprise" over the video, in which Fadnavis is seen swaying along with his wife to a song that calls for support to save Mumbai's rivers, the opposition party asked him a series of questions.

"Fadnavis should clarify if the government has links with T Series, the company which made the video or if the chief minister has family relations with it," Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) spokesperson Sachin Sawant said.

"If the government is not associated with this video, Fadnavis should clarify what procedure was applied to select the company for making the video," Sawant said in a statement.

"He should also let us know who gave instructions for government officers to feature in the video and for use of the CM's official residence Varsha for shooting it," he said, reacting to the video that has become popular on social media.

As the newly-released video went viral on social media platform, the opposition AAP had slammed Fadnavis and his wife, and called the clip "terrible and shocking".

However, a CMO official told PTI, "This is a social cause and a private initiative. Not a single rupee of the Maharashtra government has been spent in making the video."

The video has a song calling for support to save Mumbai's four rivers Poisar, Dahisar, Oshiwara and Mithi.

Called 'Mumbai river anthem', the song features Amruta Fadnavis singing with playback singer Sonu Nigam.

Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, Mumbai civic commissioner Ajoy Mehta and city police commissioner Datta Padsalgikar are also seen in the video, joining the appeal to save the rivers.

"This video is terrible and shocking. To further her singing career, Amruta Fadnavis has used the Chief Minister, and senior civic and police officials and also the CM's official residence Varsha, where part of the video was shot," AAP spokesperson Preeti Sharma Menon said on Monday.

"It is sheer hypocrisy that they are talking about protecting rivers, when the BJP-led government is on a spree to destroy environment," the AAP leader had said.