NEW DELHI: Amid the political crisis in Maharashtra, the Congress on Thursday said it does not want to interfere in Shiv Sena's "internal matter" but asserted confidence in Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
The Congress, which along with the NCP shares power in the Uddhav Thackeray-led dispensation in Maharashtra, also expressed confidence that the BJP's attempt to "topple a stable government" will not succeed.
Rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde is currently camping in Guwahati with 37 rebel MLAs of the Sena and nine independents, plunging his party-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government into a crisis.
To questions about the political situation in Maharashtra situation and over the chief minister's post, Congress spokesperson Gaurav Gogoi said, "We have said earlier also we don't want to impose our views on the Shiv Sena. This is their internal matter, we have confidence in Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray."
"We are in touch with our Maharashtra colleagues and are confident that the BJP's intention to topple a stable government and cause instability in the country will not succeed," the Congress' deputy leader in the Lok Sabha said.
This is another example that the BJP "creates instability serially", Gogoi alleged.
"At a time when unemployed youth are on the streets, Covid cases are rising, there are floods, farmers are suffering, the BJP's greed for power is manifested. Because of this greed for power, our country has moved away from the path of development and prosperity," he said.
He also accused the BJP of being "blind to the pain" of the people of the Northeast suffering from floods and said that instead of focussing on relief measures, the party is trying to destabilise the government in Maharashtra.
The flood situation in Assam remained grim on Thursday with over 54.5 lakh people still affected and 12 fresh deaths reported.
According to officials, the toll due to the floods since mid-May is now 101.
Gogoi said, "We all know there are currently floods in Assam, in Meghalaya. In the past, whenever there have been floods or any natural disaster, a responsible central government sends a team of ministers, the prime minister visits himself, studies and assesses the situation and then offers relief and urgent aid."
"The BJP in its lust for power has become blind to the pain of the people of northeast who are suffering from floods," he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is either busy campaigning for Gujarat elections or trying to "destabilise a government in Maharashtra", he alleged.
"This is cold-hearted, brutal, insensitive and never before have we seen that at a time when people do not even have water, the government is diverting its resources toward its own political ambitions," Gogoi, who hails from Assam, said.
He also slammed Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for his remarks hours after a group of Maharashtra MLAs led by dissident Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde reached Assam and were put up in a luxury hotel.
Sarma had said that he welcomes all to visit Assam as the state needs revenue to deal with the devastating floods.
"Unfortunately, the chief minister takes this as a matter of joke yesterday.
He said we are happy that guests from Maharashtra have come and are staying in hotels and based on GST, he will get finances to help the people," Gogoi said, accusing Sarma of making light of a natural disaster.
Thackeray had on Wednesday offered to quit the chief minister's post amid the rebellion by Shinde.
He later vacated his official residence in south Mumbai before moving to his family home in suburban Bandra.
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Thursday said the party is ready to quit the MVA government if the rebel legislators camping in Assam return to Mumbai within 24 hours and discusses the issue with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.