'On New Year, I would like to wish you a Modi-free India'

While comparing Modi to Hitler, Thackeray said, "In this country, the media houses, newspapers, channels, who talk against the government are threatened with consequences such as IT raids. All these were common practices of Hitler."

Addressing his party workers on Gudi Padwa, he said, "Our Gudi Padwa rally is there every year and this year it came during elections, so I will have to speak about politics. On the occasion of New Year, I would like to wish you a Modi-free India."

Thackeray also said that in the coming days, he would start a state-wide campaign and address 10 rallies. In an hour-long speech, Thackeray also effectively made use of old and new videos of Modi, which were shown to the supporters on screens.

"Narendra Modi and Amit Shah are threats to this country, and so I will campaign against them, and if this will benefit Congress and NCP, then it's only to defeat BJP." He called the duo power-hungry, and claimed that Modi has done no work in the last four-and-a-half-years, which is why he never fielded questions from journalists. "The government talks about several schemes they brought for people, but all these schemes were active during the earlier government, too. BJP has just changed the names of
the schemes."

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates