Congress blames Centre for coal crunch, power crisis in Maharashtra
Patole claimed that though the Union coal minister has advised states to import coal, the imports will only benefit some of the BJP's industrialist friends and will make electricity expensive.
Published: 15th April 2022 08:42 PM | Last Updated: 15th April 2022 08:42 PM | A+A A-
Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole (Photo | Facebook)
MUMBAI: Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole on Friday said the power crisis in the state has been caused due to lack of coal supply by the Central government.
Talking to reporters here, Patole claimed that though the Union coal minister has advised states to import coal, the imports will only benefit some of the BJP's industrialist friends and will make electricity expensive.
"The Union coal minister has advised states to import coal. However, when coal is imported, it will only benefit some of the BJP's industrialist friends and it will make electricity more expensive and ordinary consumers will have to bear the brunt of it," he alleged.
The Congress leader further said that the allegations of corruption in the allocation of coal mines, which were made during the UPA regime, were later found to be false. The then PM Manmohan Singh had a vision, he was ready to empower the energy department.
But under the Modi government, no new coal mine has been created, this is a ploy of privatisation, he claimed.
When asked about the use of loudspeakers on mosques, Patole charged that some parties were trying to further their political interests by raising the issue of loudspeakers on mosques.
"Why is one particular religion being targeted, when loudspeakers are being used in places of worship across all faiths? The Constitution does not teach you to hate any religion," the former speaker said.
Communal forces should not try to instigate one religion against another, he said, adding that efforts are being made to create a religious rift in Maharashtra and action should be taken against such people.
Speaking about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's visit to Mumbai, Patole said the date for the same has not been fixed yet.
During his visit to Mumbai, Gandhi will meet Congress MLAs, ministers and party office bearers. The visit will be important for coordination among the MVA constituents and implementation of the common minimum programme drafted by the parties, Patole said.
