'Even British Was Doing Vikas, But We Need Freedom From Autocracy': Uddhav Says INDIA Will Unseat BJP At Centre

The members of the MVA, including the Congress, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar-led NCP faction were addressing a press conference in Mumbai.

From left: Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole, Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray, and NCP chief Sharad Pawar talk to mediapersons in Mumbai on Wednesday.

Source : Shiv Sena (UBT)

New Delhi: Drawing parallels between the British rule in India and the BJP-led government at the Centre, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said just as the nation had come together to drive the “dictatorial and oppressive” rulers out of the country, the Opposition parties have cobbled up an alliance to take on the "autocratic" saffron party in the general elections next year.

Addressing a press conference a day ahead of the third meeting of the INDIA alliance, the former Maharashtra chief minister said, “The British rulers were also working on development of the country. But the nation wants development as well as freedom from autocracy.”

“The Opposition parties who consider the whole country as their family have joined hands to save 'Bharat Mata',” Thackeray said, adding, “Our ideologies may be different, but our objective is same, that is to save the country and its Constitution.”

VIDEO | "Those (opposition parties) who consider the whole country as their family have joined hands to save 'Bharat Mata'," says Shiv Sena (UBT) leader @uddhavthackeray at a press conference of INDIA alliance in Mumbai. pic.twitter.com/6kiBeXUkcw

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 30, 2023

Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre over its decision to slash the price of LPG by Rs 200 per cylinder, Thackeray said as the Opposition bloc progresses, the BJP government “may give the gas cylinders for free”.

Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, too, had taken at swipe at the government, and tweeted, “Till now, only TWO meetings have been held in the past TWO months by the INDIA alliance and today, we see that LPG prices have gone down by Rs. 200. Ye hai #INDIA ka dam.”

Responding to a question on the Opposition’s Prime Ministerial face and the ideological differences among the INDIA members, Thackeray said, “We (INDIA alliance) have a lot of choices for the prime ministerial face. However, the BJP now needs to make a choice (for the PM face) as people have seen what PM Modi has done in the last 10 years.”

The members of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), including the Congress, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar-led NCP faction were addressing the press conference on Wednesday.

The Opposition bloc’s third meeting will be held in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1. The first meeting of the INDIA alliance was held in Patna in June and the second one was held in Bengaluru last month.

Speaking on the third conclave, Congress leader Nana Patole said, “We're very happy that INDIA alliance meeting is going to take place in Maharashtra. In Bengaluru, the bloc had 26 parties, while this time there will be 28.”