Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray has called for the removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah out of the country adding that it was of utmost importance. Addressing a poll rally in Nanded, where the Congress’ Ashok Chavan is pitted against the BJP’s Pratap Chikhalikar, Thackeray also slammed Modi and Shah for constantly blaming Jawaharlal Nehru for the failure of the BJP-led government at the Centre.
Thackeray said, “Modi has fooled people for the last four and a half years.. In every election rally of his, he keeps talking of irrelevant issues, criticises (former PMs) Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi. However, he does not talk about rising unemployment, farmers issues and women’s safety.”
Thackeray also slammed Modi and Shah for mocking Nehru and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi but constantly copying the two leaders. He said that the word pradhansevak used by Modi was actually a copy of what Nehru had said when he became the prime minister. “Modi calls himself pradhan sevak. This word has actually been taken from a statement of Pandit Nehru, where he says people should not remember him as a prime minister but a pratham sevak. Modi has changed the word to pradhan sevak.”
The MNS chief reminded his audience amidst thunderous applause how the Nehru Memorial Museum in Teen Murti Bhavan in New Delhi has a plaque, which quotes Pandit Nehru as saying, “This country’s people should not call me pradhan mantri but instead should address me as pratham sevak.”
Thackeray accused Modi of constantly lying to Indians during his term as India’s prime minister in the last five years. He also said that Modi should be ashamed of himself for seeking votes in the name of India’s fallen soldiers.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath too came under attack from the MNS chief, who, according to news agency PTI, said, “Yogi Adityanath says the country’s army is Modi’s army. Today Modi asks first time voters to vote for the jawans who conducted the Balakot air strike and the jawans killed in the Pulwama attack. Does he not feel ashamed to ask for votes in the name of jawans?”
Correspondents watching Thackeray’s speech said that he was at his best in embarrassing the BJP-led government at the Centre. He lashed out at Modi for spending crores on advertisements’ even when India suffered from the highest ever unemployment for 45 years.
He also repeated his earlier allegations that a war-like situation was manufactured through Pulwama terror attack ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. “Just yesterday, a video was released showing the same madrasa (supposed to be damaged in the attacks) functioning and children studying there (in Pakistan). My question is why is the government lying to us?” Thackeray was quoted by Indian Express.
Last month, Thackeray had made a chilling prediction that the BJP may orchestrate another Pulwama-like terror attack to win this year’s Lok Sabha elections.