Eknath Shinde defends BJP’s unity call, slams MVA’s divide-and-rule politics

Launching a strong defence of BJPrsquos lsquoek hai toh safe hairsquo poll pitch Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday said nowhere has the party asked Hindus to unite against MuslimsIn an interview to PTI Shinde expressed confidence that the Mahayuti would win the November 20 Assembly elections convincingly allowing it to continue with its agenda of development with renewed vigour Poll results will be announced on November 23Accusing the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi MVA of practising the divideandrule policy of the British Shinde said ldquoWhat has Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Be united and be safe Come together and vote to take Maharashtra on the path of development and progress What is wrong with thisrdquoldquoWhere have we asked Hindus to unite and fight against the Muslims They Opposition say it openlyrdquo the chief minister saidHe said various schemes of the government do not discriminate on religious lines and ensure that the benefits reach every communityldquoIt is the Congress that is practising the policy of divideandrule followed by the Britishrdquo Shinde said accusing the Opposition of spreading fear among Muslims Christians and AdivasisldquoThey have raised the bogey of Constitution being in danger and reservations being discontinued They are doing this for political benefitsrdquo the chief minister saidOn the issue of the Maratha reservation Shinde said ldquoThe policy of the Mahayuti government is very clear The Maratha community should get justice but in doing so injustice should not be meted out to the OBCs and other communitiesrdquoThe CM said the Opposition had deprived the Maratha community of benefits under various government initiativesldquoThe Maratha community will think in a calm manner on who is giving them benefits and who is using them for political benefitsrdquo Shinde saidHe pointed out that his government had called a special session of the Assembly to grant 10 per cent reservation to the Maratha communityShinde defended his rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray and alleged the then Shiv Sena leadership had an antidevelopment stance and had departed from its Hindutva principlesShinde claimed there was an attempt to ldquosell the Shiv Sena to Congressrdquo when the party was part of the MVA and called it a betrayal of peoplersquos trustldquoI left them MVA and Uddhav Thackeray because they were antidevelopment and the then Shiv Sena leadership was drifting away from Hindutvardquo Shinde saidldquoI pushed for an alliance with the BJP again but he Thackeray did not listen to usrdquo Shinde saidHe claimed the Mahayuti government had restored the peoplersquos mandateHe further alleged that ldquothe MVA was full of speed breakers put stops on all projectsrdquo specifically mentioning stalled initiatives in irrigation and the NagpurMumbai Samruddhi ExpresswayThe Shiv Sena broke its alliance with the BJP after the 2019 Assembly polls claiming the latter had reneged on a promise to share the chief ministerial tenureThackeray then allied with the Congress and Sharad Pawarled undivided NCP to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi governmentThe Shiv Sena split in June 2022 after Shinde rebelled bringing down the MVA government He became CM with the BJPrsquos support In July last year Ajit Pawar split the NCP and joined the MahayutiShinde denied promoting casteism and said the MVA spread a fake narrative during the Lok Sabha polls about the end of reservation benefitsHowever state elections are contested on local issues he assertedldquoRahul Gandhi does not understand that during state elections the focus is on practical issues not matters of the Constitutionrdquo he saidShinde questioned former chief minister Uddhav Thackerayrsquos leadership accusing him of only banning things instead of working for peopleHe dismissed Thackerayrsquos recent allegation that the Central government wanted to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra terming it ldquorhetoricrdquoldquoThey have nothing else to say They did not repair potholes on roads We have worked for the betterment of Mumbai We solved the issues they never didrdquo he saidShinde further said the Ladki Bahin scheme providing a R1500 monthly allowance has given support and freedom to womenOn the MVArsquos assurance of Rs 3000 per month to women the chief minister said ldquoThe MVA first tarnished our image and went to court My sisters know that they will not implement itrdquoThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever