Pune: Union Minister Amit Shah launches scathing attack on Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray

Pune: Union Home Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah has criticised NCP (SP) President Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray. He said, “Sharad Pawar is the leader of corrupt people. His lies will not work now. What did he do for 10 years when he was the minister at the Centre. Uddhav Thackeray has joined hands with those people who fed Biryani to terrorist Ajmal Kasab. The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is the ‘Aurangzeb Fan Club’ and Thackeray is the leader of the club.”

Amit Shah was addressing the BJP State Executive Body’s convention in Balewadi on Sunday. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union Minister Raosaheb Danve, Ashok Chavan, party General Secretary Vinod Tawde, Union Minister Murlidhar Mohol, MP Raksha Khadse, Union Minister Piyush Goyal, party leader Ashish Shelar, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishvav and State Minister Chandrakant Patil were present.

‘The Centre granted Rs 4 lakh crore to the State’

Shah said, “We have an account of the work we have done. Sharad Pawar’s party was a part of the ruling combine at the Centre and in the State for 10 years. What did he do then? The BJP government granted Rs 4 lakh crores of funds in the past 10 years. We gave Rs 75,000 crore for road works and Rs 2 lakh crore for railway routes. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project is being implemented at a cost of Rs 31 lakh crore. Rs 11,000 crore have been given for the Palkhi route. This is what we have done. What has Pawar done? He should show his work.”

‘The Maratha quota will disappear again’

Shah said, “I want to ask Sharad Pawar what he did when he was Union Agriculture Minister. Why did he not give the Maratha reservations? Rahul Gandhi promised quick money for the poor people, why didn’t he give it? The BJP is supporting the reservations but Pawar is putting hurdles in its way.

“Whenever there is a BJP government in Maharashtra, the Marathas get reservations but during Sharad Pawar’s government, the quota disappears. The BJP implemented the Maratha reservations till 2019 but Sharad Pawar’s government came to power and the quota vanished. If Sharad Pawar forms government again, The Marathas will lose reservations again. The Marathas must get the reservations.”

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “Annasaheb Patil launched an agitation for the Maratha quota. He died but the quota was not granted. We formed the government and granted reservations to the Marathas. Sharad Pawar was the Chief Minister four times. Why didn’t he grant the reservations?”

‘The country is not safe in their hands’

Amit Shah said, “We give priority to national security. We will free India from Naxalism in the next two years. We will root out terrorism. The Aurangzeb Fan Club cannot do anything for India’s security. Uddhav Thackery is the leader of this fan club. They should feel ashamed of themselves. They cannot protect our country.”