Shiv Sena MLA and former minister Aaditya Thackeray has accused Chief Minister Eknath Shinde of taking a personal entourage of almost 50 people to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. Thackeray alleged that not only spouses but also children of ministers and officials were traveling, raising questions about whether this was actually a holiday. NCP MLA Rohit Pawar had previously criticized the Shinde-Fadnavis government for spending Rs 42 crores on foreign trips in 2023. He revealed that the MIDC had spent Rs 32 crore on the WEF event in Davos last year. Thackeray also claimed that many delegation members did not have the necessary political clearance from the Ministry of External Clearance (MEA). He questioned the need for such a large delegation and raised concerns about the use of taxpayers’ money for their expenses. Thackeray emphasized that only the head of government and relevant officers were required for the MoU signing, and such a large national delegation was unprecedented. He called for clarity on whether the union finance and external affairs minister was aware of this junket and if political clearance had been granted. Rohit Pawar also demanded a high-level probe by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) into the expenditure incurred by the MIDC on foreign visits. He disclosed that the total cost was between Rs 42 crore and Rs 45 crore, with a significant amount spent on a tour to Taiwan where no cabinet member was present. The delegation was led by deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’ OSD Kaustubh Dhawase.