New Delhi: Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) holds a protest in Mumbai today against the Eknath Shinde government and Maharashtra Governor BS Koshyari over his controversial remark on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar will join the protest.
NCP MP Supriya Sule slammed the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government and said that this Maharashtra government has not only failed on all fronts but also insulted great men like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Ambedkar sahab. "This Maharashtra govt has not only failed on all fronts incl inter-state border issue but also insulted great men like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj & Ambedkar sahab. BJP govt at the Centre & in the state, & Devendra Fadnavis not apologising for such statements," Supriya Sule was quoted by the news agency ANI.
She further said, the new version of BJP consists people from other parties and is not the same anymore. "The new version of BJP which consists of people from other parties,it's not same anymore as when it had leaders like Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj. I learnt a lot from their speeches. Today, when any BJP leader rises to speak we're scared about what he/she might say, ANI quoted Supriya Sule as saying.
NCP leader Dilip Walse Patil said that the people of Maharashtra would not tolerate anything said against Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Dr. Savitribai Phule. “The people of Maharashtra will not tolerate anything said against Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Dr. Savitribai Phule & other great personalities. Our message to the Shinde govt is that they shouldn't try to change the history of the state, “ Dilip Walse Patil told ANI.
BJP Starts 'Maafi Maango' Agitation, Targets MVA Leaders
Bharatiya Janata Party started its 'maafi maang' (Beg Forgiveness) demonstrations in Mumbai on Saturday and accused the Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders of making controversial remarks on the birthplace of Dr B. R. Ambedkar. The agitation is going on simultaneously as the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and around 50 parties and groups also launched their mega-procession in south Mumbai on various issues.
State BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule, BJP Mumbai President Ashish Shelar, senior leader Pravin Darekar and others are leading the protests along with thousands of party workers waving black flags and placards, raising slogans and condemning the Sena (UBT) at different places in the city.
The demonstrators condemned the Sena (UBT)'s attempts to raise doubts on the birthplace of Dr. Ambedkar, the Chief Architect of the Indian Constitution and champion of the depressed classes.
"We have sent Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut a couple of official publications authored by BJP MLC Bhai Girkar on the life of Dr Ambedkar and urge him to read it to understand history... There are attempts to rewrite history and it is not acceptable to us. They must ask for forgiveness from the people," news agency IANS quoted Shelar as saying.
The BJP leaders also slammed the comments of Sena (UBT) Deputy Leader and firebrand orator Sushma Andhare for ridiculing Hindu Gods, saints, the Varkaris etc and demanded to know "why is Uddhav Thackeray keeping mum on all this". The MVA leaders like Raut and Congress state President Nana Patole have dismissed the BJP's 'maafi maango' agitation as "laughable" and intended to throw a spanner in the Opposition parties' mega-procession today.
(With agencies Inputs)