Congress attacks CM Fadnavis over Missing Link row, demands Narco test
Synopsis
Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal has challenged CM Devendra Fadnavis to a Narco Analysis test over alleged corruption in the Missing Link and Samruddhi Mahamarg projects — a dramatic escalation of a row that began with a landslide at the expressway site and has now engulfed the Maharashtra Assembly in a language and accountability storm.
Key Takeaways
Maharashtra Congress State President Harshvardhan Sapkal attacked CM Devendra Fadnavis in Buldhana on 10 July over the Mumbai-Pune Expressway Missing Link project.
Sapkal challenged Fadnavis to a Narco Analysis test to expose alleged corruption in the Missing Link and Samruddhi Mahamarg projects.
Congress accused Fadnavis of using unparliamentary words — including ‘thobaad’ and ‘kutra’ — against the opposition inside the state Assembly.
The row was triggered by a landslide at the Missing Link project site, which the opposition used to question project safety and financial accountability.
Fadnavis had dismissed opposition critics as ‘witless,’ ‘clueless,’ and ‘hired trolls (bhade ke tattu)’ during his Assembly defence.
Maharashtra Congress State President Harshvardhan Sapkal on Friday, 10 July launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over the Mumbai-Pune Expressway Missing Link project, accusing him of ‘extreme arrogance and ego’ following his aggressive defence of the project in the state Assembly. Sapkal made the remarks while speaking to the media in Buldhana, days after a landslide struck the project site and triggered a political storm.
The Ancestral Property Jibe
Targeting Fadnavis’s repeated assertion that he ‘built the Missing Link’, Sapkal was blunt: ‘Devendra Fadnavis repeatedly claims, “I built the Missing Link.” But you did not build it by selling your own farmland, ancestral mansion or family jewellery. This level of narcissism and ego is uncalled for.’ He added that the Chief Minister appears to be ‘afflicted by arrogance.’
The remarks were a direct response to Fadnavis calling opposition critics ‘witless’ and ‘clueless’ inside the Assembly. ‘When I raised questions about the Missing Link project, Fadnavis responded by saying I lack understanding and brains. This is pure arrogance. I pity his mindset,’ Sapkal said, adding that the political ideology Fadnavis represents believes it holds a monopoly on knowledge.
Language in the House Under Fire
Sapkal also trained his guns on the alleged use of unparliamentary language in the Maharashtra Assembly, targeting both Chief Minister Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. ‘The Chief Minister used words like “thobaad” (slap/face) and “kutra” (dog) while addressing the opposition in the Assembly. This language does not behove the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. This is a state Assembly, not a street brawl by a water tap,’ Sapkal said.
He argued that such conduct from the state’s top constitutional office-holder was ‘deeply embarrassing’ and reflected poorly on the ruling dispensation’s democratic credentials.
Corruption Allegations and the Narco Challenge
Sapkal escalated the confrontation by throwing down a direct challenge over alleged corruption in major infrastructure projects. ‘I openly challenge Devendra Fadnavis — let both of us undergo a Narco Analysis test. Let the truth come out before the public regarding how much corruption actually took place in the Missing Link and Samruddhi Mahamarg projects,’ he said.
The Congress leader also pushed back against Fadnavis labelling opposition members as ‘hired trolls (bhade ke tattu)’, asserting that questioning infrastructure failures is a constitutional right and not political mischief. He pointed out that structural issues such as water leakage in the Missing Link tunnels damage Maharashtra’s reputation far more than political criticism ever could.
The Broader Political Context
The row comes amid heightened tensions in the Maharashtra Assembly following the landslide at the Missing Link site, which the opposition has used to press the government on project safety and financial accountability. Sapkal also flagged Fadnavis’s claim that the opposition would be ‘wiped out in a decade’, calling it an exposure of the ruling party’s ‘undemocratic nature.’
With the Congress pressing for a Narco Analysis and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government showing no signs of backing down, the Missing Link controversy is set to remain a flashpoint in Maharashtra’s political arena.
Point of View
If accurately reported, sets a troubling precedent for the dignity of the House. More substantively, Sapkal’s Narco Analysis challenge is a political gambit, but it forces the government to either engage on corruption specifics or absorb the optics of refusal. The landslide that sparked this exchange has not yet been independently investigated for structural or contractual lapses — that accountability gap is what the Congress is exploiting, and the BJP has so far responded with aggression rather than answers.
NationPress
10 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Maharashtra Missing Link project controversy?
The controversy centres on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway’s Missing Link tunnel project, which faced criticism after a landslide hit the site. Opposition leaders, including Congress’s Harshvardhan Sapkal, have questioned project safety and alleged financial irregularities, while CM Devendra Fadnavis has defended the project aggressively in the Maharashtra Assembly.
What did Harshvardhan Sapkal challenge CM Fadnavis to do?
Sapkal openly challenged Fadnavis to jointly undergo a Narco Analysis test to reveal the extent of alleged corruption in the Missing Link and Samruddhi Mahamarg projects. He made the challenge during a media interaction in Buldhana on 10 July.
Why did Congress criticise the language used in the Maharashtra Assembly?
Congress accused CM Fadnavis of using words like ‘thobaad’ (slap/face) and ‘kutra’ (dog) against opposition members inside the Assembly. Sapkal called the language unbecoming of a Chief Minister and said it reduced the House to the level of a street brawl.
What did CM Fadnavis say about the opposition over the Missing Link project?
Fadnavis reportedly dismissed opposition critics as ‘witless,’ ‘clueless,’ and ‘hired trolls (bhade ke tattu)’ during his Assembly defence of the project. He also claimed credit for building the Missing Link, which Sapkal countered by saying public money — not Fadnavis’s personal assets — funded the project.
Who is Harshvardhan Sapkal?
Harshvardhan Sapkal is the Maharashtra State President of the Indian National Congress (INC). He has been a vocal critic of the BJP-led state government’s handling of major infrastructure projects, including the Mumbai-Pune Expressway Missing Link and the Samruddhi Mahamarg.
