Amruta Fadnavis hits back at Sanjay Raut, says ‘my husband in Davos not for picnic’

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is not in Davos for a picnic, his banker-singer wife Amruta Fadnavis said on Wednesday, responding to remarks by Shiv Sena-UBT MP Sanjay Raut.

Mr. Fadnavis is in Davos to participate in the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting.

“I can never understand his (Raut’s) language. But I will only say this much that someone who goes for a picnic does not hold conferences and meetings daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. to bring investment to India and Maharashtra, and boost employment,” Amruta told reporters on the sidelines of an event in Mumbai.

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“So I feel that this statement of his, like all his other statements, is baseless,” she said.

The WEF in Davos is an international forum where people from every country go to talk about their country or to find business opportunities, she said. “Going there, I believe, is the duty of the head of every state in India,” Ms. Fadnavis said.

Mr. Raut had demanded that travel costs of the leaders travelling to Davos be revealed to the public.

“Chief ministers from various states in India are having a picnic in Davos,” Mr. Raut had said. “The Davos conference is ridiculous from an Indian perspective,” he added.

Asked who will be the mayor of Mumbai, Ms. Fadnavis responded that it will be a Marathi person.

Devendra Fadnavis is being credited with the BJP-led Mahayuti combine’s success in the recent municipal corporation elections. The BJP emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats in the 227-member BMC.