Why was Elvish Yadav invited to CM's Ganeshotsav, asks Maha Opposition

Maharashtra's opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi on Friday, 3 November, slammed the presence of "a dubious drug addict" who was allegedly invited to the official residence of chief minister Eknath Shinde to perform a pooja during Ganeshotsav along with other celebrities.

Siddharth alias Elvish Yadav is a popular YouTuber and social media influencer, who was seen performing an aarti at the CM’s home back in September, at the height of the Ganeshosav festival.

In a sensational development on Friday, Yadav was booked by Noida Police for allegedly supplying deadly snakes and venom for a rave party from where nine snakes were also recovered.

Based on a complaint filed by the NGO People For Animals (PFA), police raided a party hall and arrested five persons, though Yadav has denied the allegations, and is believed to be absconding.

Vijay Wadettiwar of the Congress, the leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra assembly, said not only was a "toxic drug addict" like Yadav present, but he was also accorded hospitality by the CM and felicitated with a shawl and coconut.

"The CM had invited Elvish Yadav to Varsha bungalow... and now, he (Elvish) has been booked by police for committing the serious crime of making, consuming and selling drugs derived from snake venom," he said.

Shiv Sena-UBT deputy leader Sushma Andhare sought to know how a person accused of making drugs from snake venom reached the CM’s bungalow, interacted with him and was even allowed to perform a pooja there.

Demanding to know whether the CM’s official residence Varsha has become a "tourist hotspot" for junkies, state Congress chief spokesperson Atul Londhe demanded to know the circumstance leading to Yadav’s presence as a "special invitee" in the high-security zone.

"This Elvish Yadav who organises rave parties using venomous snakes has been booked by Noida Police for the offence, and live poisonous snakes too have been recovered," he said.

Nationalist Congress Party-SP national spokesperson Clyde Crasto wondered if the CM was so busy in self-publicity and self-promotion that a person with such antecedents managed to gain access to Varsha.

"If the credentials of such a person reportedly linked with banned substances like snake venom are not verified properly, then what is the guarantee of the safety and security of the ordinary masses with such elements freely moving around?" he asked.

Wadettiwar asked if the CM is attempting to promote an "intoxicated person" like Elvish Yadav as a "role model" for the state’s youth, and entertaining a person who uses abusive language against women.

Londhe recalled that during the tenure of former CM Devendra Fadnavis, photographs had surfaced of him with Pune’s dreaded gangster Kamlakar alias Baba Bodke in 2016, creating a furore.