Caught in the crossfire: Uddhav Thackeray confronts PM Modi on epic scandal
Uddhav Thackeray, the chief of Shiv Sena (UBT), has publicly questioned PM Narendra Modi’s previous allegations regarding an alleged Rs 70,000 crores scam by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
His comments come on the heels of a recent announcement by a Pune trust selecting the Prime Minister for the Tilak National award and inviting NCP’s Sharad Pawar as the chief guest for the upcoming August 1 event.
Among the notable attendees of the event will be Ajit Pawar, NCP leader, who recently joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government as Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister. Thackeray reportedly queried Modi’s stance on the alleged NCP scam given the current political alignments, stating indirectly that the NCP is now associated with the government.
PM Modi had previously accused the NCP of numerous scams amounting to nearly Rs 70,000 crore, including the Maharashtra Cooperative Bank scam, irrigation scam, and illegal mining scam, during a meeting with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers last month in Bhopal. In response, Sharad Pawar countered PM Modi’s accusations, clarifying that he has no associations with any cooperative banks or has ever taken a loan from them.
Uddhav Thackeray questions PM Modi’s comments on Rs 70,000 crores scam. Photo courtesy of Prime Minister’s Office/Wikimedia Commons.
Sharad Pawar also implicitly ridiculed Modi’s statements, suggesting they were made out of frustration and disappointment due to international and domestic situations. Furthermore, Uddhav Thackeray criticized the BJP-led central government, implying misuse of investigative agencies to target opposition parties, adding that time would make it hard for them when it turns against them.
PM Modi is slated to receive the Lokmanya Tilak National Award in Pune on August 1, which also marks the 103rd death anniversary of Lokmanya Tilak. He was chosen for this award to acknowledge his “exemplary leadership and instilling patriotic sentiments among citizens.” Other notable invitees to the event include Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar.