Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted on Sunday that Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray was aligning himself with the Congress, whose leaders have shown disrespect towards Balasaheb Thackeray, the founder of Shiv Sena, and the Hindutva ideologue Veer Savarkar.
After launching the BJP’s manifesto for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections scheduled for November 20, Shah emphasised that his party would not permit religion-based reservations in the country.
He criticised the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA)—which includes Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and the NCP led by Sharad Pawar—for lacking credibility, stating, “The Maha Vikas Aghadi’s trust has gone below ‘pataal’ (the depths); it has no credibility.”
According to him, the ruling Mahayuti coalition, comprising the BJP, the Shiv Sena under Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP, is better positioned against the MVA, whose promises he claimed insult ideology and promote appeasement.
Shah noted that the Congress has failed to honor its pre-election commitments in states where it currently governs. He challenged Thackeray to ask Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to express admiration for Veer Savarkar and to find any Congress member willing to honor Balasaheb Thackeray.
“It would be beneficial for the people of Maharashtra to understand who is proposing an alliance government amidst such contradictions,” he remarked.
The BJP’s manifesto, referred to as ‘Sankalp Patra,’ is designed to reflect the aspirations of the people of Maharashtra. Shah highlighted a demand from an organisation of Ulemas for minority reservations, which was acknowledged by state Congress president Nana Patole.
He stated, “I want to tell Uddhav Thackeray that you are sitting with individuals who oppose the Ram Mandir, the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the Uniform Civil Code, the Waqf board amendments, and who insult Savarkar.”
He cautioned that failure to enact Waqf board amendments could lead to the declaration of personal properties as Waqf by the board.
Shah raised a crucial question regarding whether the citizens of Maharashtra support allocating reservations meant for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes to Muslims, asserting that the Constitution does not sanction reservations based on religion. He noted that Congress promised such reservations before assuming power, urging the public to recognise this discrepancy.
He also remarked that for the first time since the abrogation of Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, the J&K Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, took an oath on the Constitution designed by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar.
Shah claimed that the BJP’s resolutions are “etched in stone,” affirming that whether at the Centre or in the state, the BJP is resolute in fulfilling its commitments when elected.
Continuing his attack, Shah labeled the MVA’s election proposals as ideologically shallow, stating, “I want to tell Sharad Pawar that his attempts to fabricate a false mandate will not succeed now.”
He challenged Pawar to detail his contributions to Maharashtra during his tenure as a minister in the UPA government, reiterating that Maharashtra has been a leader in various fields.
Shah expressed confidence that the people of Maharashtra are inclined to grant their mandate to the Mahayuti once again. State Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, present at the event, described the BJP’s manifesto as a blueprint for a developed Maharashtra contributing to a developed India.