Daijiworld Media Network - Navi Mumbai

Navi Mumbai, Mar 2: Shrikant Shinde on Sunday took a swipe at Maharashtra minister Ganesh Naik over his recent remarks that the ‘Ladki Bahin’ scheme was causing injustice to other government departments.

Shinde, son of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, made the remarks while addressing an ‘abhinandan melava’ (felicitation gathering) in Navi Mumbai.

Referring to Naik’s statement criticising the Ladki Bahin scheme, Shinde questioned the functioning of the forest department, which is currently under Naik’s charge. He said he had received information about certain developments in the department but had refrained from commenting so far.

Shinde alleged that due to a shortage of funds in the forest department, there were discussions about cutting teak trees to raise money, and said such matters needed to be examined carefully.

Taking a sarcastic dig, he also referred to plans reportedly discussed to deal with leopard menace by first releasing goats into forests and later planting fruit trees. “Before making such decisions, one must at least understand whether leopards are herbivores or carnivores,” he remarked, in an apparent jibe at Naik.

Responding to Naik’s earlier criticism targeting Eknath Shinde, he said, “If you cannot manage a leopard, why challenge a tiger?” in a pointed retort.

Shrikant Shinde further said that leaders should speak within their limits and avoid creating discord within the alliance. “One should speak only as much as one can handle. Everything cannot go as per one’s narrow mindset. There should be no attempt to create rifts within the alliance,” he said.

Referring to the transport department issue raised by Naik, Shinde asserted that Eknath Shinde keeps a close watch on all matters and that there is no dictatorship in the state.

He also reacted to the recent victory in the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation, saying that some people were boasting despite securing only a narrow win. “We are who we are; the rest are far behind,” he said, throwing an open challenge to his political rival.