Mumbai, September 2026 : Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Wednesday strongly criticised the Congress over its protest march towards the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) office, warning that attempts to target the organisation would not be tolerated.
Bawankule said the RSS was working towards nation-building and safeguarding the integrity of the country. He asserted that the state government would not allow protest marches targeting RSS land or its headquarters.
Reacting sharply to the Congress demonstration, the minister also accused the party of politicising the national song ‘Vande Mataram’. He challenged the Congress to march towards a BJP office if it had the courage to do so.
Bawankule said that if the Opposition wanted to protest against the state government, its demonstrations should be directed towards government premises, including the District Collectorate, Police Commissionerate, Guardian Minister’s Office, Chief Minister’s Office or Ramgiri.
The minister also attacked the Congress over its position on ‘Vande Mataram’, saying the national song reflected India’s culture, values and rich heritage and had an important place in the country’s national consciousness.
Bawankule alleged that any insult to ‘Vande Mataram’ amounted to an insult to the nation and claimed that Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, along with the party, would have to answer for their position before the people. He said the issue would be raised by voters in the 2029 general elections.
The minister maintained that everyone living in India should respect and sing ‘Vande Mataram’, adopting a strong stance on the controversy.
Rainfall Deficit Raises Farmer Concerns
Turning to the rainfall situation in Maharashtra, Bawankule expressed concern over the impact of deficient rainfall on agricultural crops, particularly soybean and cotton.
He said several regions, including Marathwada, Vidarbha and North Maharashtra, had received only around 65 per cent of normal rainfall, resulting in a deficit of approximately 35 per cent.
Appealing to farmers not to lose hope, the minister urged members of the farming community not to take extreme steps such as suicide. He said the government was aware of the difficulties being faced by farmers and would take necessary measures.
Action Against Misuse of Government Gymkhana Land
Bawankule also announced that the Maharashtra government had adopted a strict approach towards the alleged misuse of government land allotted to gymkhanas in Mumbai, Nagpur and other parts of the state.
He said land allotted for specific recreational and sporting purposes must be used strictly for those purposes. Inspections conducted across the state, including at 16 major gymkhana facilities in Mumbai, had reportedly detected violations of lease terms and conditions.
Following the inspections and identification of serious violations, notices are being issued to the concerned facilities, he said.
Bawankule said the government would not permit unauthorised commercial activities on such land, including the use of government-allotted gymkhana premises for wedding ceremonies.
He added that where terms were being regularised, undertakings would be mandatory to ensure that there were no future violations. Repeat offenders, he warned, could face strict action, including repossession of land and cancellation of operations.
Maratha Reservation Issue
On the Maratha reservation issue, Bawankule credited Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde with taking significant steps to address the community’s demands.
He alleged that the previous Uddhav Thackeray-led government had failed to effectively defend the Maratha reservation case in the Supreme Court, resulting in its cancellation. He said the Fadnavis-Shinde leadership subsequently took concrete measures to address the issue.
Bawankule said the Maratha community was currently benefiting from the 10 per cent Economically Weaker Section (EWS) reservation.
He reiterated the state government’s stated policy of ensuring justice for the Maratha community while protecting the existing reservation benefits available to 353 castes under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.
Cabinet Policy to Curb Fake Sports Certificates
Bawankule also spoke about measures to prevent irregularities involving sports certificates used for government recruitment.
He said the Maharashtra Cabinet had finalised a comprehensive monitoring policy following a proposal presented by Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar at Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting.
Under the new framework, strict measures will be implemented to prevent ineligible candidates from obtaining government jobs through the sports quota using fraudulent certificates.
Bawankule said individuals found involved in fraudulent practices would face criminal prosecution and registration of an FIR, cancellation of the sports certificate, termination of employment and disciplinary action, including suspension or dismissal.
The minister said the measures were aimed at ensuring transparency and preventing misuse of reservation and recruitment provisions in government employment.
