Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde postpones UK, Germany tour

Chief Minister of Maharashtra Eknath Shindes visit to the United Kingdom and Germany scheduled from October 1 to 8 has been postponed an official from the Chief Ministerrsquos Office said on TuesdayNo reason has been given for the tour postponement PTI reported adding ldquothe new dates are being worked out nowrdquoShinde was to lead a delegation of representatives from the industries and other departments for investment conferences and signing of memorandums of understanding MoUs between cities of Maharashtra and GermanyAlso an MoU was to be signed to bring back the wagh nakh tiger claws an iron weapon shaped like tiger claws that was used by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj from the UKThe CMO official said details of the tour programme were being worked outShiv Sena UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray in a post on X on Monday said The illegal cm has planned a week long foreign trip While I have no objection to foreign trips that bring investment or recognition to our nation or state it cannot be like his Davos trip where the govt spent almost Rs 40 crore on a 28hour holidayAlso read NCP split Praful Patel says support of elected representatives only basis for ECI to decide on name symbol pleaThere were no meeting schedules no photos no outcomes from Davos Not even a day long schedule was released And the Govt still hides the real figure of the expense of the Davos trip the MLA claimedNow the CMO must release his schedule of this 10 day trip before they fly and tweet his meetings and photos like we did for our Davos trip with outcomes while he is there Thackeray saidA days work mustnt expand to a week for someones holiday Or else the trip is just a holiday at the expense of the tax payers he saidMeanwhile after hearing arguments from Shiv Sena factions led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar has decided to conduct official hearing on disqualification petitions against the MLAs of the Shinde group on October 13 advocate Anil Sakhare who is representing the CM saidThe Shiv Sena split in June last year following a rebellion by Shinde who went on to become CM after unseating the Thackerayled Maha Vikas Aghadi governmentThe Thackeray faction had sought disqualification of several MLAs including Shinde under antidefection lawsSpeaking to reporters on the Vidhan Bhavan premises Sakhare said Speaker Narwekar heard our arguments as we are opposed to clubbing of all the petitions filed before him Our demand is to conduct independent hearings of those petitionsrdquo