Amit Shah calls Sharad Pawar ‘chief of corrupts,’ takes ‘Aurangzeb fan club’ jibe at Uddhav Thackeray

The Union minister highlighted the welfare measures taken by the Mahayuti government in the western state, and said the ruling alliance must remain in power to ensure reservation for the Maratha community

Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday mounted a scathing attack on Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and dubbed him the “leader of corrupts in the country” and called Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray the head of the “Aurangzeb fan club.”

He also exuded confidence that the losses suffered by his party in the Lok Sabha elections will be recovered during the assembly polls later this year. (HT PHOTO)

Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra, as he dubbed Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) or NCP(SP) chief Sharad Pawar the “ringleader of corruption”, accused Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray of sitting with people who sought clemency for 1993 Mumbai blasts convict Yakub Memon, and targeted Congress lawmaker Rahul Gandhi for his “arrogance” despite the party’s third loss in the Lok Sabha elections.

The Union minister highlighted the welfare measures taken by the Mahayuti government in the western state, and said the ruling alliance must remain in power to ensure reservation for the Maratha community. He also exuded confidence that the losses suffered by his party in the Lok Sabha elections will be recovered during the assembly polls later this year.

The MVA allies reacted sharply to Shah’s remarks as the NCP(SP) accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of “legitimising” corruption and the Shiv Sena (UBT) said Shah still considers Uddhav Thackeray as biggest threat. The Congress said it’s the BJP which has become arrogant.

Shah was addressing the BJP’s state convention in Pune when he made the comments. This was his first visit to the state after the BJP suffered severe drubbing in the Lok Sabha elections, where its tally tumbled to nine from 23 seats in 2019.

“If there is the biggest ‘sargana’ (ringleader) of corruption in Indian politics, it is Sharad Pawar. There is no confusion in my mind about this. I am saying it openly that Pawar has institutionalised corruption in the country,” he said, as he accused the veteran politician of doing nothing for the country’s welfare and Maharashtra when he was in power.

Shah said the BJP allotted reservation to Marathas when it helmed Maharashtra (under now deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis) but the quota was lifted when Sharad Pawar’s government came to power, referring to the MVA rule in 2021. The Mahayuti government must come to power to ensure the reservation for Marathas stays, he said.

The Maratha community is seeking reservation in education and jobs under the category of Other Backward Classes.

The NCP(SP) hit back at Shah for his remarks and alleged it is the BJP which has “legitimised” corruption. “They accuse political leaders of corruption, and then once those who they accuse join BJP, they are all given a clean chit. This is the BJP’s washing machine process of legitimising corruption,” party national spokesperson Clyde Crasto said.

Besides Pawar, Shah hit out at Thackeray for “sitting with those who sought clemency for 1993 Mumbai serial blasts convict Yakub Memon”. “Who is the Aurangzeb fan club? Those who serve biryani to (26/11 terror attacks convict) Ajmal Kasab, those who seek pardon for Yakub Memon, those who give (controversial Islamic preacher) Zakir Naik a messenger of peace award and those who support (banned Islamist outfit) PFI. Uddhav Thackeray should be ashamed of sitting with these people,” he said.

Shiv Sena leader Sushma Andhare, “Amit Shah in order to spice up his speech deliberately used the name of Uddhav Thackeray and without taking his name, cannot either begin or end his speech. It is clear that the biggest challenge before the BJP in Maharashtra is Uddhav Thackeray.”

The Union minister also targeted Gandhi for his “arrogance” despite the Congress’s third loss in the general elections. “Once we win the Maharashtra, Haryana, and Jharkhand assembly polls later this year, Rahul Gandhi’s arrogance will be crushed,” he said.

Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee member Ramesh Iyer said, “Arrogance of BJP has been crushed by the people of the country going by the drubbing of BJP received in the recently held of lok sabha elections. All those who were booked by CBI and ED were given a clean chit once they joined the BJP. The people of the country have given the party a befitting reply.”

Shah asserted that the BJP will do better in the Maharashtra assembly elections this year than what the party did in the 2014 and 2019 editions. “Mark my words, the BJP-led alliance will win Maharashtra massively,” he said.

He urged BJP workers not to get disheartened over the Lok Sabha results and said the lost ground could be recovered in the assembly elections. “We will form a government of the BJP-led alliance,” he said.

In the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP bagged nine out of 48 seats, as against 23 in 2019. The Shiv Sena secured seven and the NCP managed to bag just one seat. The Maha Vikas Aghadi bagged 30 seats.