Proud to say I was part of Babri demolition: Devendra Fadnavis
Fadnavis made the statement at the party’s ‘Booster Dose’ rally organized at Somaiya Grounds in Mumbai.
Mumbai: Amid a row over loudspeakers usage at mosques, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took a hardline Hindutva stand on Sunday. Leader of opposition Devendra Fadnavis said he was among those who demolished Babri Masjid in Ayodhya back in 1992. Fadnavis also said that he was jailed for 18 days at Badaun Central Jail for participating in Kar Seva.
Fadnavis made the statement at the party’s ‘Booster Dose’ rally organized at Somaiya Grounds in Mumbai. “Those who got scared over removing loudspeakers from mosques are asking where were we when Babri Masjid was demolished? I am proud to say that I was part of Babri Masjid’s demolition. Devendra Fadnavis was there at the site. Before that, I was also lodged at Badaun Central Jail for 18 days during Kar Seva. Where were you?,” Fadnavis said, referring to chief minister and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray.
He was responding to Thackeray’s remark in which the latter had said BJP leaders were hiding in a rat hole when Babri Masjid was demolished.
Countering the claims, Fadnavis said that all the 32 leaders, who were accused in the Babri demolition case, were from BJP. “Not a single Shiv Sena leader was there at Ayodhya. All those accused are from BJP and have been fighting cases in courts for the last 30 years. Kalyan Singh (the then chief minister and BJP leader) sacrificed his government by openly refusing to start firing at kar sevaks (gathered to demolish the mosque). And you have allied with those who have questioned the birth of Lord Ram,” Fadnavis said slamming Shiv Sena over forming a government with Congress and NCP in Maharashtra.
“I don’t consider it (Babri Masjid) a mosque, it was just a structure as no Hindu can demolish a mosque,” he added.
Before this, Raj Thackeray-led MNS has demanded the removal of loudspeakers at mosques by May 3 and also threatened to recite Hanuman Chalisa if their demand is not met. This has prompted the state government to bring the police force on its toes owing to the concern of communal tension.
Political parties are taking a hardline Hindutva stand ahead of elections scheduled in the coming months for several major municipal corporations including Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), and Thane among others.
The former chief minister alleged that the state government is slapping sedition charges for chanting Hanuman Chalisa. “If I was aware of their (MLA Ravi Rana and MP Navneet Rana) plans I would have told them to come to my residence to recite Hanuman Chalisa as I am a former chief minister,” he said.
Prime minister Narendra Modi is the only tiger in the country who fulfilled our dreams and removed Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir, he said.
Fadnavis further blamed the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government for rampant corruption and said they are working for builders and bar owners and not the common people. “None relief to those infected with Covid-19 were given relief by the MVA government. They helped the builders by waiving off their stamp duty and premium of thousands of crores. They have also reduced license fees by half of the bar owners and further reduced tax on foreign liquor by half but are not ready to reduce taxes on fuel prices. This government is working for builders, bar owners and alcoholics,” he said.
He called Shiv Sena a mafia that is robbing Mumbai and said that the BJP will make Mumbai free from them. Shiv Sena has been ruling the BMC for over two decades.
