SHIRALA, Nov 8: Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched a strong attack on the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) following the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly’s resolution to restore Article 370, reaffirming that the provision would never be reinstated, even after four generations of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar.
Shah criticized the National Conference and Congress for passing a resolution in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly that claimed Kashmir was not an integral part of India. Addressing the rally in Sambhaji Maharaj’s land, Shah boldly declared, “Sharad Pawar sahab, even if your four generations come, we will not let Article 370 come back.”
The Home Minister also weighed in on the controversy surrounding the renaming of Aurangabad, emphasizing that despite opposition from MVA and Uddhav Thackeray, the city would remain Sambhajinagar. “The name will stay as Sambhajinagar,” he stated.
Shah accused the MVA of engaging in appeasement politics, citing their stance on the Waqf board and the property issues in Karnataka. He pointed out that while Prime Minister Modi had introduced a bill in Parliament to address concerns related to the Waqf board, MVA leaders, including Pawar and Thackeray, remained silent on whether they would support or oppose the bill. “If they come to power, they will try to transfer farmers’ land in the name of the Waqf board,” Shah warned, vowing that the NDA government would protect the land of farmers and temples.
Turning to the Ram Mandir issue, Shah criticized the Congress for delaying the construction of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir while highlighting that under PM Modi’s leadership, the temple’s Bhoomi Pujan was completed in five years. He noted that Sharad Pawar, Rahul Gandhi, and Uddhav Thackeray had boycotted the ceremony due to fear of losing their vote bank. Shah also mentioned the development of the Kashi Vishwanath corridor and the upcoming construction of the Somnath temple in gold.
The Home Minister further asserted that only the Mahayuti government could end appeasement politics. He contrasted the achievements of the NDA government with those of the MVA during its tenure from 2004 to 2014, claiming that while the previous MVA government brought in ₹1.91 lakh crore for Maharashtra, PM Modi’s government had allocated ₹10.15 lakh crore in the last decade.
Maharashtra’s assembly elections are set for November 20, with results to be announced on November 23. The opposition MVA coalition, consisting of Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP, is seeking to regain power, challenging the ruling Mahayuti alliance, which includes Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, the BJP, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP.
In the 2019 Maharashtra elections, the BJP won 105 seats, Shiv Sena secured 56, and Congress won 44. In 2014, BJP had 122 seats, Shiv Sena 63, and Congress 42.
