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Center-Center-DelhiMUMBAI: Amid the ongoing controversy over Marathi versus Hindi, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday fuelled another row by ending his speech with 'Jai Gujarat' in the presence of Union Minister Amit Shah in Pune.
Before concluding with 'Jai Gujarat', Shinde did say 'Jai Maharashtra'. Lauding the efforts of Union Minister Amit Shah, Shinde ended his speech with the sequence: “Jai Hind, Jai Maharashtra, Jai Gujarat.”
The Opposition slammed Shinde for allegedly surrendering Marathi and Maharashtra pride before the Gujarati BJP leadership and accused him of showing a slave mentality. They alleged that Shinde is working as a slave of the BJP and that his 'Jai Gujarat' slogan reflects this mindset.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis defended Shinde saying, the slogan was not against Maharashtra. He added that Uddhav Thackeray himself had said 'Jai Gujarat' during an event in Gujarat, and pointed out, "Gujarat is not in Pakistan. There should not be hatred against any community or state."
However, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut lashed out saying, "Amit Shah’s duplicate Shiv Sena has revealed its real face with Eknath Shinde’s 'Jai Gujarat' slogan." Raut said Shinde’s Shiv Sena is now "Shah’s Sena".
"How can this person (Shinde) remain in Maharashtra’s cabinet? He should be sacked immediately for insulting the sentiments of Marathi people and Maharashtra," Raut demanded.
Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam also criticised Shinde, saying that as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, he should not have said 'Jai Gujarat'.
Maharashtra Congress President Harshavardhan Sapkal said Maharashtra is the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s self-respect. He reminded that Shivaji Maharaj had once invaded Surat for Swarajya, but today, in his state, people like Eknath Shinde have mortgaged Maharashtra's pride to Gujarat.
"Only a person who is helpless for power can give the slogan of 'Jai Gujarat' at a programme in Maharashtra. But a self-respecting Marathi person will never tolerate this,” Sapkal said.
Taking a dig at Shinde’s statement, Sapkal added, "It is understandable for Shinde, who broke Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sena and gave the party and its symbol to the owner of Gujarat who made him the Chief Minister. He now openly praises Modi and Shah. But it is not good to be so helpless as to say 'Jai Gujarat' just to please his Gujarati bosses."
“Eknath Shinde shamefully lowered the honour of Maharashtra in the name of being a 'loyal' soldier of Amit Shah. It was seen once again that there are many such 'models' sitting in the Maharashtra government. Has Shinde forgotten that he is not from Gujarat but the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra?” Sapkal asked, demanding that Shinde resign for insulting Maharashtra.
Sapkal also alleged that Shinde is working to fill the coffers of Gujarat by selling off Mumbai and Maharashtra. He said that in the last 11 years, industries, institutions, corporate offices and crores worth of investments have been shifted from Maharashtra to Gujarat because of Fadnavis and Shinde.
“Big projects like Vedanta-Foxconn, which would have provided employment to lakhs of youth in Maharashtra, were sent to Gujarat. Farmers in Maharashtra are committing suicide, the youth are jobless, women are unsafe, malnutrition has increased, but these helpless people in power are busy enslaving Gujarat. Such traitors of Maharashtra have no right to remain in power,” Sapkal alleged.
Responding to the criticism, BJP leaders said, “Just because Shinde said 'Jai Gujarat', it does not mean that Shinde loves Gujarat more than Maharashtra. Such parochial thinking does not behove Marathi manoos.”