Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray has launched a tirade against the Centre’s Narendra Modi government calling for a “Modi-mukt Bharat” by 2019.
Addressing party workers at a rally at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai on Sunday, Thackeray said, “The country is fed up with the false promises made by Narendra Modi and his government.
“India got its first Independence in 1947, second in 1977 (after the post-Emergency elections), and 2019 can bring a third Independence if India becomes ‘Modi-mukt’.”
His statement came amidst two parties from Andhra Pradesh, the TDP and the YSR Congress, bringing in a no-confidence motion against the central government. The parliament on Monday witnessed an ugly scene as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan refused to table the motion against the government resulting in the adjournment of both the Houses.
On Sunday, one of the key alliance partners and a union minister, Ram Vilas Paswan had asked the central government to end its mass perception in terms of minorities, dalits.
“Aren’t there secular leaders in BJP? There are people like Sushil Modi, Ram Kripal Yadav. What happens is that their voice gets suppressed and there are others whose voice gets attention,” Paswan was quoted by ANI.
The Shiv Sena has already announced its intention to pull out of the NDA with the party even suggesting that it will vote against the government if the no-confidence motion was tabled in the parliament.
Thackeray said that if the Modi government was ousted and an inquiry ordered into demonetisation, it may turn out to be the biggest scam ever since 1947.
On Ayodhya controversy, Thackeray said that he was in favour of building a Ram temple, but it should not be used as an election issue.
“The Babri Masjid demolition case is in the Supreme Court and it will be deliberately discussed in the coming days to instigate communal riots,” PTI quoted him as saying.
He added, “Ram Mandir should be built, but it should not be used as an election plank to divide the society and win votes.”
In a dig at PM Modi’s foreign tours, Thackeray said that the former was apparently visiting foreign countries to get “flour for Pakoda” as his tours haven’t fetched any investments.
Raj said that everyone from journalists to newspaper and Television channel owners were being threatened not to write or carry any story against the government.
“Stories are being conveniently shown to divert the attention of the media, while Television Channels were showing Nirav Modi running away with the Rs 11,000 crore scam, suddenly we had this news about Sridevi’s death and that occupied the news space and everyone forgot about Nirav Modi. This was done deliberately by the government,” Thackeray was quoted by Economic Times.