Mumbai, (The Hindu): : Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday asked party workers to cautiously tackle the perception created of his government at ground level by media outlets.

“The media has to run its shop. Writing about us makes the news, but it creates a perception against the government’s good decisions. We have to tackle that,” he said at the state executive committee meeting.

Mr. Fadnavis’s statements were aimed at the Opposition, which has been making allegations of corruption against his ministers. “No matter how good work you do, what boils down is what reaches the voter. We need to counter the propaganda against us.”

The Chief Minister also cleared the air about his departure to Delhi and ouster of Maharashtra unit chief Raosaheb Danve. “The party has been winning elections under the leadership of Danveji. He will remain the president. Unless being called in, I too will remain the CM till the elections.”

He ridiculed the Opposition for organising ‘Sangharsh Yatras’, and said, “Except for the last rally, not a single rally witnessed the presence of more than 1,000 people. But they are taking the credit for loan waiver.”

Mr. Fadnavis said the demand of absolute loan waiver is to create anarchy. “The Swaminathan Commission was announced during the Congress rule. Why do you remember it now? Who is making you raise your voice for loan waiver, which was never raised when the Congress was in power?”

Slamming the steering committee of farmer organisations for its decision to not allow ministers to hoist the Tricolor on Independence Day, the CM said such act amounts to sedition. “They are hoisting the Tricolor and not Pakistan’s flag. How can you stop that? We will never allow that.”

Mr. Fadnavis appealed to party members to be ready for 2019. “We have won all elections in recent time. But the big battle is in 2019. We will have to form booth-level committees. I will myself form one booth and look after it. There will be an app where information of booth forming and other activities will be collected.”