Pune: Amit Shah’s Controversial Remarks on Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray Spark Political Backlash
Reported By Varad Bhatkhande
Pune, 22nd July 2024: Union Home Minister Amit Shah made controversial statements yesterday in Pune against former Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar. Leaders across Maharashtra from the Mahavikas Aghadi are criticizing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amit Shah. Even some leaders from Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which is a part of Mahayuti, are expressing disappointment.
What Did Amit Shah Say?
Amit Shah was in Pune yesterday when he made remarks against Sharad Pawar. Shah said, “If anyone is the ‘Ringleader’ of Corruption in Indian politics, it is Sharad Pawar. Sharad Pawar has institutionalized corruption.”
Shah also targeted Uddhav Sena chief, saying, “Uddhav Thackeray has aligned with the Congress, which fed biryani to Kasab. Thackeray is sitting with those who demanded Yakub Memon be released. Uddhav Thackeray is sitting on the laps of people who made Zakir Naik a ‘peacemaker.’ Uddhav Thackeray is holding hands with those who supported PFI. He is also supporting those who opposed the Sambhajinagar name change. He should be ashamed. Uddhav Thackeray is the leader of the ‘Aurangzeb Fan Club.'”
“I Found It Amusing” – Supriya Sule
On Shah’s statement, Supriya Sule said, “I found it amusing to hear this, considering that the Modi government, which includes Amit Shah, was the same administration that honored Sharad Pawar with the Padma Vibhushan. It was not the current NDA government but the previous Modi administration.”
“At Amit Shah’s event today, Ashok Chavan, who has faced numerous allegations of corruption, was seated behind him. It seems that 90% of those accused of corruption by the BJP are now part of the BJP, thanks to its ‘washing machine,'” she continued.
“We Don’t Need Certificates from a Man ‘Externed’ from Gujarat” – Sushma Andhare
Uddhav Sena spokesperson Sushma Andhare responded harshly to Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a press conference in Pune. Andhare said, “I don’t want to talk about Amit Shah. ‘Externed’ people shouldn’t come to Maharashtra and teach us about wisdom. Who are we, and what are we? We don’t need a certificate from a man who was ‘externed’ from Gujarat. We are not in such bad times that we need to take a certificate from the man ‘externed’ from Gujarat.”
Andhare continued, “Ever since Shankaracharya came to Matoshree, your stomach is hurting. You are not getting any points to talk about now. Does your financial logistics fall apart when we hold a press conference against Adani? We think that’s why you are making speeches like ‘Aurangzeb Fan Club.’ Your levels have dropped.”
“We Are Not Members of the Jinnah Fan Club Like You” – Sanjay Raut
Rajya Sabha MP of Uddhav Sena, Sanjay Raut, also directed criticisms at Amit Shah. Raut said, “Amit Shah criticized Uddhav Thackeray for being a member of the Aurangzeb Fan Club. But I want to tell him, we are not members of the Jinnah Fan Club like him. We never went to Pakistan to lay flowers on Jinnah’s grave or eat cake on Nawaz Sharif’s birthday. The NCP advocating for Muslims is not wrong; in fact, Muslims have contributed significantly when the country was struggling.”
Raut continued, “The loss in Maharashtra in the Lok Sabha elections has hit them hard. Even during the campaign for the Lok Sabha elections, Amit Shah came to Maharashtra and threw criticisms at Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar, but still, the people of Maharashtra defeated them. That is why there is anger. Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar are respected figures in state politics. We are not working with a machine of lies like the BJP. We don’t win elections by scamming EVMs, election bonds, and the ED-CBI. We have been elected by the people cleanly and clearly.”
Raut also criticized Fadnavis for the language he used in the last meeting, calling it “goon-like language” and stating that the Home Minister of Maharashtra using such language is not right. He also demanded Fadnavis’s resignation.
“Attempts to Do Elections on Hindu-Muslim Issue Failed” – Vishal Patil
Sangli MP Vishal Patil also had criticisms for Amit Shah. He heavily criticized the budget put forward by the Government of India. He expressed that if we see a similar budget as the one in January, it would be disappointing for the country. He demanded that the budget should be crafted with a focus on farmers.
On Shah’s criticisms of Pawar and Thackeray, Patil said, “It seems that the BJP has started targeting Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray, the two important leaders of Maharashtra. I want to tell them that if you target Thackeray and Pawar, sympathy for them will increase. Amit Shah should have gone beyond politics in his speech in Pune, but it is unfortunate that he did not. An attempt was made to contest elections in the state by making it a Hindu-Muslim issue, but it did not work.”
Ujjwal Nikam Video on Kasab Goes Viral
Amit Shah recently criticized the Congress government for allegedly serving biryani to 26/11 terrorist Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab. In response, a video of BJP’s Ujjwal Nikam, the public prosecutor in the 26/11 case, has gone viral. In the video, Nikam clarified that while Kasab had requested mutton biryani, the BJP falsely accused the Congress of fulfilling this request without evidence. Nikam’s interview, given after his Lok Sabha election nomination from the BJP, highlighted the reality of the incident and criticized the BJP’s claims.
Discord Within Mahayuti?
All of Maharashtra is responding to Amit Shah’s remarks on veteran leaders Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray. Some political leaders from the Mahayuti alliance are also expressing disappointment with Shah’s comments. Pimpri MLA Anna Bansode from Mahayuti has joined the conversation on this trending issue.
Ajit Pawar-led NCP’s Pimpri MLA Anna Bansode said, “Sharad Pawar is a national leader. Even the BJP has acknowledged that. BJP should respect Sharad Pawar. PM Narendra Modi has called Sharad Pawar his ‘Guru.’ The statement made by Amit Shah was not right.”
