Action was taken earlier, now Rapido has become the sponsor of the family's event, Sarnaik targeted by the opposition

Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik is in the opposition's line of sight today. The reason for this is that he had acted against the bike taxi service Rapido in Mumbai last month, and now the same Rapido has become the prime sponsor of the 'Dahi Handi' event of his family. The moment this inconsistency became public, there was a commotion in political circles.

Speaking to the media on Thursday, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) MLA Rohit Pawar accused Pratap Sarnaik of misusing his ministerial position. He said that it is morally wrong to make the same Rapido company, which the minister himself had investigated, the main sponsor of a family event.

On July 2, Pratap Sarnaik himself booked a bike taxi from the Rapido app to investigate whether bike taxis are running illegally in Mumbai. He booked a ride from the ministry to Dadar. When the bike driver arrived outside the ministry, the minister gave him Rs 500 and explained that this service is not allowed in the state.

After this, the government officially said that such bike taxi services are not allowed in the state.

The opposition alleges that now the same Rapido company has become the main sponsor of a Dahi Handi sports event called Pro Govinda League (PGL). This event is being organized by the minister's family. Rohit Pawar says that the minister has used his position to pressure the company for sponsorship.

The state general secretary of the Nationalist Congress (Sharad Pawar faction) has sought a response from the BJP and the Mahayuti government on this matter. He said that this is a matter of conflict of ethics and interests.

Pratap Sarnaik's son, Purvesh Sarnaik, clarified the controversy and said that the Rapido company was already associated with PGL. And this partnership was before the action taken by the minister. He said that "Dahi Handi is a traditional sport; it should not be linked to politics."

The Pro Govinda League (PGL) is a professional sports event related to Dahi Handi, in which a pot is broken by forming a human pyramid. This is a special part of the festival of Janmashtami. To make this game safe, it is organized on a mat. This time, the third season of PGL has started from 7 August at the Dome SVP Stadium in Worli, Mumbai, and it will run till 9 August.