NCP shedding ‘crocodile tears’ for flood victims: Sadabhau Khot

Mumbai: Sadabhau Khot, minister of state (MOS) for agriculture, on Thursday accused the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) of shedding crocodile’s tears for flood-affected people in western parts of Maharashtra.

“I would have congratulated them if they (NCP leaders) had entered the flood water to help people, but they did not,” Mr Khot said during his trip to Wardha district.

Hitting out at the Sharad Pawar-led party, Mr Khot alleged that the party showed no interest in helping the flood-affected people. He added that the NCP was only interest in taking advantage of the situation and provoke anti-government sentiment in the people.

“NCP is hoping to increase its tally in the upcoming election by taking advantage of the flood situation. This party is only interested in playing dirty politics,” he added.

The 288-member Maharashtra Assembly is expected to go to polls in October 2019.

Praising the administration for coming to the rescue of people, Mr Khot said that the state government would prepare alternate roads and provide more funds to increase height of bridges to avoid flood-like situations in the future.

The junior minister also slammed the previous Congress-NCP government for failing to handle the flood situation in Western Maharashtra in 2005.

“There were no alternate roads created. All those Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders shedding crocodile’s tears should disclose how much money their government had spent on rehabilitation of affected people,” Mr Khot, a member of the legislative council, said.