ELECTIONS '98
COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ARCHIVES

Navale crowns Joshi king of liars, but Joshi says he isn't one

Suresh Navale, Maharashtra's ousted minister of state for energy, had a few energetic, but thoroughly uncomplimentary, things to say about Chief Minister Manohar Joshi over the weekend.

"The history of Maharashtra has never seen a chief minister like Manohar Joshi," the once-Shiv Sena minister announced at the inauguration of Janashakti, a new outfit he has formed, in Beed, Maharashtra.

And then came the catch.

"History," Navale continued, "has never seen a chief minister stoop so low, in such a cowardly manner, and lie to remain in power!''

Thunderous claps from anti-Joshi-ites, and Navale entered the last lap joyously.

"If," he said, "If ever a conclave of liars is to be held, Manohar Joshi will have to be adorned its president. Because..."

More claps, more shouts, jeers and suchlikes drown the post-'because' part. Which, incidentally, the speaker had already touched upon...

Navale, if we are to recap, is the same one who had accused his party of threatening his life just before the monsoon session. This, naturally, had prompted the bosses to show him the door, none-too-politely.

Another sacked minister, Ganesh Naik, who had 'quit' over differences with the 'brahmin' Joshi, had also a thing or two to say about the CM. But in a much, much milder manner.

"We have mentally and physically left the Shiv Sena," he enlightened the gathered reporters, who, soon as they wrote down the statement, looked at him expecatantly for more wisdom. Naik did not fail them.

"Joshi's follies have been exposed to the people of Maharashtra in the past three years," he said, "We tried to solve the people's problem, but Joshi created hurdles in our path."

At this juncture, a journo, more zealous than his colleagues who were only interested in collecting the pearls of wisdom falling from Naik, thought it fit to ask Navale a question: Would he, the powerful politician he is, consider a re-entry to the Sena?

Huh? A re-entry? No, no, no way, snorted Navale. "I am not helpless and a coward like Joshi!"

Could the ex-minister be more more eloquent on the subject? Yes, yes, he could. And he did. As follows:

"It is unfortunate that a chief minister ignores the attack of his own partymen on the house of his own minister of state," he said. The reference, of course, was to himself. "The situation in Maharashtra is far worse than that in Laloo Prasad Yadav's Bihar!"

Then came the little matter of Srikrishna Commission report. It was Naik who chose to comment on it. "People named in the report, whatever their strength and stature, should be prosecuted!"

Meanwhile, Manohar Joshi, in answer to Navale's allegations, said he was very, very surprised.

"How come I have suddenly become a liar?," he couldn't help wondering, "These people used to touch my feet. I don't know what has gone wrong with them now.."

Well, well... but isn't that how politics works?

Compiled from the Marathi media by Prasanna Zore

Tell us what you think of this report