Fadnavis rides a bike to office, Congress calls it a ‘stunt’ and ‘photo op’

Maharashtra Chief Minister rode a black Royal Enfield motorbike all the way to the state assembly building (Vidhan Bhavan) at Nariman Point, from his ‘Varsha’ residence at Malabar Hill, in South Mumbai, on Thursday, catching onlookers and commuters by surprise, even as his security escort convoy followed him on motorbikes as well.

Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar accompanied Fadnavis in the back seat. Wearing helmets, they reached Vidhan Bhavan around 11 am, much to the surprise of media persons at the venue, even as photographs and videos of their motorbike ride went viral on social media.

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Speaking to media persons later, Fadnavis said, “Whatever instructions the Prime Minister has given are for the benefit of the country. Therefore, we are trying our best to do whatever we can. When leaders in the state campaign in this manner, it reaches the people. Therefore, I arrived on a motorcycle today. Our convoy fleet has also been reduced. We have also cancelled everybody’s foreign travel. We will do everything to save fuel and foreign exchange.”

Fadnavis told media persons that, except for already scheduled official events, no other major events will be organised on behalf of the government for the next six events.

“An event has been organised in Satara tomorrow. Since it was already planned earlier and money has already been spent on it, we have not cancelled it, but for the next six months, we will not organise any major events on behalf of the government,” Fadnavis said.

Responding to a question regarding the opposition criticising the Prime Minister’s austerity appeal, Fadnavis said, “The opposition party will have to show some seriousness. All countries in the world are making even tougher decisions than this. The Prime Minister only asked us to make a little sacrifice. No tough decisions have been taken. So, it is not right to create such a ruckus about it. This has happened before when Indira Gandhi was in power. Chidambaram had also taken a similar decision in 2012. Therefore, it is not right for the opposition to behave like this. If we are not ready to make even a little adjustment for the benefit of the country due to the international situation, then it will be said that the opposition lacks seriousness”.

Hitting back at the criticism being levelled against Prime Minister Modi’s foreign visits, Fadnavis said, “There can be no greater sign of stupidity than questioning the foreign visit of the country’s Prime Minister. When the country’s Prime Minister goes abroad, strategic alliances are formed. It benefits the country’s economy. This does not mean that if any of our businessmen are going abroad to sign a big deal, they should cancel that deal. Those who are making such criticism are fools”.

However, shortly thereafter, Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad tweeted pictures of the Chief Minister’s motorbike and details showing that its Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate expired on January 10, 2025. She also questioned whether authorities would take action against the Chief Minister if his motorbike’s PUC certificate had indeed expired.

Tweeting from her official X account, Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad stated, “So ‘expired maal’ is okay? It appears that the Chief Minister chose a vehicle with an expired Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate for his austerity stunt. Will RTO Mumbai and Mumbai Traffic Police take action? Will the Chief Minister’s Office respond?” She also tweeted an expired PUC document and a photograph highlighting the registration number of the motorbike, which Fadnavis rode.

In another tweet on X, the Congress MP called the CM’s motorbike ride a “photo op”, adding that Fadnavis could have taken a BEST bus instead if he really wanted to set an example of austerity and public transport usage. “How does the Chief Minister of Maharashtra swapping a car convoy with a motorbike convoy really help? A little bit of mileage difference is all?”

“The CM lives near Nepean Sea Road and had to go to Vidhan Bhawan today. If he really wanted to set an example, he could have taken the BEST bus from Napean Sea Road and walked a few meters to reach his destination. But if he had, then his government’s apathy towards BEST would have been completely exposed. Thanks to its severely reduced fleet, he would have had to wait at the bus stop until a bus arrived, and then, like all ordinary Mumbaikars, he would have had to place his safety in the hands of an ill-trained wet-lease bus driver,” Varsha Gaikwad stated.

“It is clear that all this austerity talk is just a mere photo op and nothing else. If the CM and his cabinet were serious, they would address the serious issues facing public transport and walkability in Mumbai today. But with this government, everything is about real-worthy content,” Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad tweeted from her X account.

Meanwhile, in a related development, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde began travelling in an electric vehicle. Shinde also stated that, except for vehicles required for safety in the convoy, there will be a reduction in the number of convoy vehicles that run on other fuels.

“After Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s suggestion, I myself decided to use an electric vehicle. There are vehicles in my fleet that are necessary for security purposes, which will continue to be used in the fleet. Other ministers have also been asked to use electric vehicles,” Eknath Shinde said.

Fisheries Minister Nitesh Rane has also reduced the number of vehicles in his convoy and included electric vehicles in the fleet.

“In a positive response to the call for eco-friendly transport made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, we have reduced the number of vehicles in the personal and government fleets and introduced electric vehicles in service, in order to save fuel,” Rane said.