Amit Shah Declares Shinde-led Sena as Sole Faction
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday asserted that there is no Shiv Sena faction other than the one led by Eknath Shinde, taking a swipe at Uddhav Thackeray amid reports that six of his party's MPs are poised to join the Shinde group. Shah arrived in Kolhapur district of Maharashtra early Saturday against the backdrop of the much-speculated 'Operation Tiger', referring to the anticipated defections.
During a public address in Kolhapur city, Shah referred to Shinde as the chief of Shiv Sena. 'Earlier, we had to call it the Shinde faction (of Shiv Sena). Now, no other faction is left,' he said, dismissing Thackeray's leadership.
Shah Criticizes Thackeray's Alliance with Congress
Shah criticized Thackeray for allying with the Congress party, stating, 'Uddhav is sitting on the lap of Congress, which uses infiltrators as its vote bank. I want to make it clear that India is not a 'Dharamshala'. All infiltrators will be thrown out of the country.' This remark underscores the BJP's hardline stance on illegal immigration.
Referring to the BJP's victory in the West Bengal Assembly polls, Shah said, 'While BJP was winning in various states, people would ask us what would happen to our party in Bengal. The people of Bengal blessed us with a massive victory.' He added, 'BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are indebted to the people of Bengal. I want to tell the people of Bengal that we will not only stop infiltration through the state's border areas, our govt will also ensure that every infiltrator is identified and thrown out of the country.'
Shah Attacks Congress on Farmer Policies
In another rally in Kolhapur's Ichalkaranji, Shah attacked Congress for neglecting farmers. 'Congress was in the govt for so many years but it never thought of farmers. Rahul Gandhi claims that his party waived off farm loan, but he should give details of how much was the waiver,' Shah said. He contrasted this with the BJP's record: 'In the 10 years of their (UPA) govt, they waived off only Rs 60,000 crore farm loan. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, our govt in the past 12 years has directly deposited Rs 4,28,000 crore into the accounts of farmers irrespective of their loan status. Therefore, I appeal to people to vote for a govt that will think about common people and work tirelessly for development.'
Shah Contrasts Modi's Security Record with Previous Governments
Comparing Modi's 12 years with previous governments, Shah said, 'India has witnessed terror attacks and blasts before Prime Minister Modi took over 12 years ago. The Prime Minister then would be silent despite attacks on India. Prime Minister Modi changed that response through surgical strikes, aerial strikes and Operation Sindoor.' This highlights the BJP's focus on national security.
Shah Lays Foundation for Mahalaxmi Temple Project
Shah also laid the foundation stone of a Rs 1,500 crore project for the conservation and development of the Mahalaxmi Temple in Kolhapur, emphasizing the government's commitment to cultural heritage.
