New Delhi: Launching a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) called him the "biggest patron of corruption", after Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar, along with eight others from the party, joined the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government on Sunday. Taking to Twitter, AAP national spokesperson Sanjay Singh wrote, “Narendra Modi is the biggest patron of corruption in the country. Two days after the prime minister gave a guarantee of action against corruption, Pawar was appointed as the deputy chief minister in the Shiv Sena-BJP coalition government in Maharashtra and Bhujbal also inducted into the cabinet. Today all TV channels will condemn Modiji.”
After being sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister, Ajit Pawar said, “We took a decision to come with the Shinde-Fadanvis government with almost all MLAs of NCP. We took oath and a few other ministers will be added in the next expansion. All the MLAs, MPs, and workers of the party (NCP) are with us that's why I took oath as Deputy CM.”
"Today, we have decided to support the Maharashtra government and took oath as ministers. There will be a discussion on the portfolios later. Considering all aspects at the national level, we thought that we should support development," he said.
"Several people will criticise now a bit. We don't give value to that and we will keep working for the progress of Maharashtra and that is why we have taken this decision. Most of our MLAs are satisfied with this. We have supported this govt with NCP Party. We will contest all elections in the name of NCP only," he added.
Meanwhile, several leaders condemned the move saying it was a complete “mockery of democracy”.
Taking to Twitter, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) and Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi wrote, “Principles be damned, BJP should be the last party in the country talking about ideological alliances. They are just political opportunists wanting power at any cost.”