Raj Thackeray, leader of Right-wing Marathi regional political party Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, on Sunday said that all the opposition parties should come together if they want a Modi-free India.
Thackeray, while addressing a gathering of party workers at a rally at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai, said that the opposition parties should come together and work together for a Modi-free India, or a BJP-free India.
He said, “India got its first Independence in 1947, second in 1977 (after the post-Emergency elections), and 2019 can bring a third Independence if India becomes 'Modi-mukt'.”
Thackeray also spoke about the late Bollywood actress Sridevi and how she was given state honours.
He directly blamed the Maharashtra government for wrapping the dead body of late Sridevi in a tri-colour and according her with full state honours just because she was given a Padma Shri.
He said, “Nirav Modi was the talk of the town, then issue of Sridevi came in. This was brought to change the issue. When a person like Sridevi dies, you wrap her in Tri-colour & you say you did that because she was a Padma Shri. It was all fault of the Maharashtra government.”
He also pointed out about Sridevi’s death and the so-called mystery about it. “It was said that Sridevi died by drowning in the bath-tub as she consumed too much of liquor,” Thackrey said.
“Sridevi was a great actor, but what had she done for the country so that her body should have been wrapped in the tricolour? Media may have covered her funeral extensively at government's behest to divert people's attention from the Nirav Modi-Punjab National Bank scam.” he added.
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He spoke about the Ram Mandir issue too, saying, “The Babri Masjid demolition case is in the Supreme Court and it will be deliberately discussed in the coming days to instigate communal riots. Ram Mandir should be built, but it should not be used as an election plank to divide the society and win votes.”
He alleged the Indian media and blamed that it is under tremendous pressure from the government, saying, “The government is trying to control media, judiciary and institutions like CBI.”
Incidentally, Thackeray had met Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar on Saturday ahead of this rally. However, he described the meeting as a courtesy call.
Recently, Thackeray gave his support to the 45,000 farmers who marched to Mumbai to press their demands over the implementation of the Swaminathan Committee, complete loan waiver and transfer of the Adivasi lands to farmers at the Vidhan Sabha.
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