People will 'jode maro' MVA in the elections says Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde

MUMBAI: CM Eknath Shinde hit back at the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) over their ‘jode maro’ protest march against the collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in Malvan last week. CM Shinde said that people are going to jode maro the MVA in the elections. “The election race is near. Their MVA has started to see defeat and that is why they are protesting.

CM Shinde said that the collapse of the state wasn’t a political one for him, but the MVA was indulging in politics over the statue’s collapse. CM Shinde said that the protest march is not for the love of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj but is driven by political motives.

“MVA’s protest is motivated by a political agenda. Statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj collapsed. This is a very bad and sad incident. This matter is sensitive for us. All the Shiv devotees of Maharashtra have become emotional with this incident. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is not a political issue for us.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is the subject of our identity. But the opposition is doing politics over the incident. It is more unfortunate. The people of Maharashtra will jode maro the opposition in the upcoming elections,” CM Shinde said.

“In Karnataka, the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was demolished by the Congress government using excavators. Now it is the Congressmen who are agitating. It is these Congressmen who should actually be beaten with shoes. They left and are now protesting in Mumbai. But the people of Maharashtra are sensible.

They (MVA) are starting to see defeat (in the state assembly elections). In the upcoming elections, the MVA is going to be beaten by the people,” CM Shinde said.

“These people (the opposition) went to court against our Ladki Bahin Yojana. First they went to Bombay High Court, now to Nagpur bench. If we are giving money to the poor sisters, why are their stomachs hurting?. They tried to stop the scheme. The scheme is a super hit and so they are scared of its popularity. There should be no politics in the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. From this their mentality is understood.

Even then I had said that the court will not do injustice to our sisters. The HC had rejected his petition. Before the assembly elections, the opposition was talking about riots. They (MVA) are trying to disturb Maharashtra. Also, an attempt was made before the Lok Sabha (elections) to create discord between castes. But the people of the country are wise. The MahaYuti govt is working to maintain law and order intact,” CM Shinde said.

CM Shinde said that two years ago the people had asked Uddhav Thackeray to get out. CM Shinde said that the MVA was taking the name of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj but doing the work of Afzal Khan. Uddhav said while speaking at the MVA protest march that the Gateway of India site was deliberately chosen for the protest to express the anger since it is the entrance of the country and the MVA had gathered here to get this ‘Shivdrohi government and illegal government to get out of India.

NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar slammed CM Eknath Shinde over his comments that the statue had collapsed due to strong winds. “The statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot Fort in Malvan collapsed. The current rulers have insulted Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. After the statue collapsed, CM Shinde made a shocking statement that the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj collapsed due to the wind. Today we have come to this place at the Gateway of India. The statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at this place has been inspiring people for the past 50 years. There are many such statues in every corner of Maharashtra. But the statue erected in Malvan is becoming a model of corruption. There is a perception among people that there was corruption in the construction of the statue on Rajkot fort. So this is an insult to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. It is also an insult to all Shiv lovers. Therefore, a protest was held at this place to protest against those who did this insulting work,” Sharad Pawar who took part in the protest march said.

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed by Anil Wadpalliwar in the Nagpur bench of the Bombay HC, challenging the Ladki Bahin and other welfare schemes.