MUMBAI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday attacked the Opposition in Maharashtra, accusing them of having a problem with Sambhaji Maharaj’s name.
Modi was addressing a rally at Sambhaji Nagar in the poll-bound state. He said those who see their “messiah” in a person who killed the Maratha warrior-king stood against the state and the Maratha pride. “Aren’t these people against our identity? Will Maharashtra ever accept such people?” he said.
Sambhaji Maharaj was the son of Maratha icon Chhatrapati Shivaji. He was killed by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
The PM attacked the Congress, saying it is against reservation and development. “To form the government, the Congress party believes in creating divisions and not development. From the beginning, Congress has been against reservation. Old advertisements which are going viral on the internet nowadays show the real thinking of Congress about reservations,” said the PM.
He said Congress called reservation benefits against the country. “The Congress mentality and agenda remain the same even today. For the last 10 years, it is tough for them to tolerate a PM who belongs to the OBCs,” he added.
He said the MahaYuti government renamed Aurangabad as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and fulfilled Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray’s wish.
In Raigarh district’s Panvel, the PM said Congress always worked to keep the poor as poor. “The Congress gave the false slogan ‘Garibi hatao’, but nothing was done for the poor people,” Modi said.
‘Renamed Aurangabad’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said BJP-led MahaYuti government renamed Aurangabad as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and fulfilled Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray’s wish.