As hours after the political twist in Maharashtra, with Devendra Fadnavis swearing in as the Chief Minister and NCP’s Ajit Pawar the deputy CM, the Congress termed today as a “black spot” in history,  in yet another press conference the party leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said that the “blind BJP killed democracy.”

“23rd November shall go down as a black chapter in the democratic history of Maharashtra and India, when the Constitution was trampled underfoot. By showing fear of prison bars to opportunist Ajit Pawar, the blind BJP killed democracy”, said Surjewala.

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He said “Devendra Fadnavis promised to put Ajit Pawar, in Arthur Road Jail in the Irrigation scam, instead he has been made the Deputy CM. ”

He also blamed the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be party to the political coup in Maharastra. “Karnataka, Meghalaya,Goa, Uttaranchal, Haryana, Manipur and now Maharashtra, BJP is seeking to trample upon the mandate of people which is done by none other than the PM of India,” he said.

Congress leader has asked ten questions from the BJP, PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah:

When was the President’s rule revoked? When did the Governor ask the President to remove President’s rule from Maharashtra? When was the claim to form the government presented? When was the list of the BJP and NCP candidates presented? How many BJP MLAs signed the claim to form the government? How many NCP MLAs signed the claim to form the government? When did the meeting of the Centre to revoke the President’s Rule in Maharashtra, took place? When did the MLAs present before the Governor? Why was the  swearing-in ceremony shrouded in secrecy at wee hours, why was media including Doordarshan not called, except for one private news agency? Why was the Chief Justice of Maharashtra High Court not called? Now that the chief minister and his deputy has been sworn-in, why hasn’t the Governor given the date for a floor test for the new government to prove its majority?

Earlier in the day, speaking to reporters, Ahmed Patel, flanked by Maharashtra Congress in-charge Mallikarjun Kharge and other leaders, said: “Everything was done in a hushed manner early morning. Something is wrong somewhere. Nothing can be more shameful than this.”

Patel further said that the Congress would put up “a political and legal challenge” at the manner in which a Bharatiya Janata Party-led government was sworn-in in Maharashtra under a shroud of secrecy at dawn on Saturday.

“All the three (Congress-NCP-Shiv Sena) parties are together in this and I am confident we will defeat BJP in the trust vote. All Congress MLAs are present here except two who are right now in their village, but they too are with us,” Ahmed Patel said.

Reacting on the development, party supremo and uncle Sharad Pawar had earlier in the day said his nephew’s decision was a personal one.

Sharad Pawar said that the decision was not that of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and placed on record that they do not support or endorse the decision of Ajit Pawar.

In the October 21 election, the BJP had won 105 out of 288 seats, while its pre-poll alliance partner Shiv Sena won 56 seats. The NCP and the Congress won 54 and 44 seats, respectively. However, the Shiv Sena had a fallout with the BJP as Uddhav Thackeray demand rotational chief ministership. But the BJP refused to concede the demand of Shiv Sena.

President’s rule was imposed in Maharashtra on November 12, 18 days after the results of the elections were declared as none of the parties were able to form a government in the state.