BJP attacks Uddhav Thackeray over PFI; When Fadnavis 'was shocked to know'

BJP's Amit Malviya shared a 2020 tweet of Devendra Fadnavis in which he questioned the BMC's decision to tie up with the PFI for the burial of the Muslim victims of Covid-19.

As the Centre on Wednesday banned the Popular Front of India for five years, BJP's Amit Malviya attacked former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray for Mumbai's civic body tying up with the PFI in 2020 for the burial of the Muslim victims of Covid-19. Digging up a 2020 tweet of Devendra Fadnavis where Fadnavis expressed shock that Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation "gave legitimacy" to organisations like PFI, Malviya said Uddhav Thackeray did so “presumably under the pressure of the NCP and the Congress”.

In 2020, Devendra Fadnavis tweeted to then Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray asking whether he was aware of the PFI. 

"Not too long ago, Uddhav Thackeray, as Chief Minister and someone whose party controlled the BMC, legitimised the PFI, knowing fully well that PFI was a radical organisation with links to outlawed terror organisations. He did so presumably under the pressure of NCP and Congress…," Malviya tweeted.

The BJP targetted the Congress after the ban accusing the Congress of supporting the PFI. The Congress issued a statement saying that the party stands against all ideologies and institutions that abuse religion to polarise society and misuse it to spread hate. "The Congress has always been and will continue to be against all forms and types of communalism – majority or minority makes no difference. The Congress' policy has always been to uncompromisingly fight all ideologies and institutions that abuse religion to polarise our society, that misuse religion to spread prejudice, hate, bigotry and violence," Jairam Ramesh said in a statement.

Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday welcomed the Centre's move and said that the PFI was planning 'something serious' in the state. Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said the state government will soon issue a notification to ban six frontal outfits of the PFI.

What was Fadnavis's 2020 tweet?

In 2020, during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, the BMC allowed the PFI to facilitate the burial of Muslim victims of Covid-19. Tweeting the order of the BMC in which the civic body entrusted PFI with the task, Fadnavis wrote, "Shocked to know that @mybmc giving legitimacy to organisation like Popular Front of India, allegedly known for anti-national and anti-social activities. Honourable CM Uddhav Thackeray ji, fo you agree to this? If not, will you take action?"