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Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday termed Nationalist Congress Party-SP chief Sharad Pawar as the "sargana" (ringleader) who institutionalised corruption in the country and accused Rahul Gandhi of being "arrogant" despite Congress losing elections on three occasions.
Addressing the BJP's state convention in Pune, Shah dubbed Shiv Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray "the head of the Aurangzeb fan club" who was sitting with people who sought pardon for 1993 Mumbai serial blasts convict Yakub Memon.
He said Rahul Gandhi's arrogance will be crushed after BJP wins upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand.
"If there is the biggest 'sargana' 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," Shah said as he accused the veteran politician of doing nothing for the country's welfare and Maharashtra when he was in power.
Taking a swipe, Shah said the BJP allotted reservation to Marathas when it helmed Maharashtra (under Devendra Fadnavis) whereas whenever Sharad Pawar's government comes to power, the Maratha quota disappears.
He said the Mahayuti government must come to power to ensure the reservation for Marathas stays.
This is Shah's first visit to Maharashtra after the BJP suffered severe drubbing in the recent Lok Sabha elections where the party's tally tumbled to 9 from 23 seats it had won in 2019.
Attacking the Shiv Sena-UBT chief, Shah said, "Uddhav Thackeray is 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 attack convict) 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 the (banned Islamist outfit) PFI. Uddhav Thackeray should be ashamed of sitting with these people," Shah said.
In a scathing speech, Shah also targeted Rahul Gandhi for his "arrogance" despite the Congress party's consecutive losses in the Lok Sabha elections.
"Once we win the Maharashtra, Haryana, and Jharkhand assembly polls later this year, Rahul Gandhi's arrogance will be crushed," Shah said.
He also challenged the Congress to implement its Lok Sabha election promise of providing Rs 8500 monthly to women in states ruled by the party. "I want to tell women of Karnataka, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh to start demanding it," Shah said.
Despite the BJP securing 240 seats in the general elections, surpassing the INDIA alliance tally, Shah urged party workers in Maharashtra to improve their position in the upcoming state assembly elections.
"Mark my words, the BJP-led alliance will win Maharashtra massively," he asserted.
Shah emphasised the importance of the 2024 Lok Sabha mandate, noting that no Prime Minister in the last 60 years has secured three consecutive terms.
"This is not a small victory. In Maharashtra, we will better our performances of 2014 and 2019 this time," he said.
Shah urged the party workers not to get disheartened over the Lok Sabha results and said the lost ground could be recovered in the assembly elections as he highlighted the welfare measures taken by the Mahayuti government.
Shah appealed to the BJP cadres to ensure the victory of the alliance partners (Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and NCP led by Deputy CM Ajit Pawar) in the elections.
"We will form a government of the BJP-led alliance," he added.
He said the BJP has been holding extended working committee meetings across the country to review the outcome of Parliamentary elections.
"We have to do two things in Maharashtra: To review the Lok Sabha poll results and also win the state elections,"' Shah said.
Reiterating the BJP's commitment to its ideology, Shah cited the abrogation of Article 370, the construction of the Ram temple, and the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand.
"The entire country is waiting for the Uniform Civil Code," he said and praised PM Narendra Modi for ending terrorism in the country through air strikes and surgical strikes.
Shah recalled his 2014 remarks when he had said the BJP would rule the country for 30 years. "Just ten years have passed so far," he added.
Shah also accused the Opposition of spreading a false narrative about changing the Constitution.
"Congress insulted Babasaheb Ambedkar which even Britishers didn't do. Sharad Pawar creates new illusions every day," Shah said, adding that only the BJP can work for the welfare of the poor and not Congress.
Shah said Maharashtra received funds of only Rs 1.97 lakh crore in ten years when the UPA government was in power (2004-14), whereas this amount rose to Rs 10 lakh crore in the last decade under the Modi government.
The NCP-SP hit back at Shah, saying it is the BJP which has "legitimised" corruption by incorporating tainted leaders in the saffron fold.
"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," NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) national spokesperson Clyde Crasto stated.