Mumbai: It’s not often that a book-launch event witnesses lawmakers repeatedly break out in laughter and thump their benches in appreciation. But then, this was different.
“It is only because of you that I have to speak on Budget as the CM,” Uddhav Thackeray told Devendra Fadnavis in a jam-packed auditorium where Maharashtra legislators had come to attend the inauguration of the Bharatiya Janata Party leader’s book, 'Budget in Simple Words'.
There was much cheering, pounding of seats and general hilarity as chief minister Thackeray, his deputy Ajit Pawar and Speaker Nana Patole ribbed Fadnavis.
“Budget is such an important part of the government. I am now coming to understand things better. I wonder, shouldn't demonetisation have been included in the Budget itself? I am just asking. It was such an important measure,” the CM told an audience comprising Maharashtra's MLAs and MLCs at the central auditorium of Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai.
“My friendship with Dada (Ajit Pawar) is new. But I have a request to make of you now. Please keep writing such books each year, so we will know how we can improve. Keep writing such books for the coming five-ten years, while we move ahead with governance,” the Shiv Sena chief told Fadnavis as laughter echoed in the auditorium.
Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar too didn't leave the opportunity to taunt Fadnavis. “You are such a fantastic writer. I would urge your party leadership to utilise these skills of yours. In fact, I am going to suggest to your party that you are so talented that such talent is needed more in Delhi. They should take you there. Am sure, all the 288 MLAs here will support this wholeheartedly. And I swear, Sudhir Mungantiwar (senior BJP leader) will be the happiest,” he said, cracking up the audience.
Fadnavis, former chief minister of Maharashtra and the leader of opposition in the assembly, has authored several books. He had previously penned a book on the Budget, but wrote a new one after several rules about it changed. “My idea was, I should write the book for commoners who don't understand technicalities. This book isn't for scholars. The idea is, one should be able to finish reading it in 40 minutes, not even 45 minutes,” he said about the 51-page book.
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