THE THREE key constituents of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) – Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena – and smaller parties in the alliance held a rally in Pune on Saturday to send out a message that attempts by the BJP and MNS “to disturb peace” will be countered by them with an iron hand. The MVA leaders said they are all united and their government, ministers and leaders will not buckle under any pressure “brought through central agencies by the Modi government”.
Addressing the rally, Congress leader Sachin Sawant said, “The BJP is implementing the hidden RSS agenda… It is bent on dividing the people of the country on communal lines. The BJP and central government are doing everything to spread hatred in the country and divide the people of the country.”
Sawant said the Modi government was misusing central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate by filing false cases against ministers and leaders of MVA. “Instead of paying attention to serious problems like rising fuel prices, inflation and unemployment, the Modi government is busy playing dirty politics by targetting its rivals. It is misusing central agencies to file fake cases against MVA leaders,” he said, adding that the BJP was promoting MNS to implement its own agenda.
Sawant said no amount of pressure will work on the MVA government and its leaders. “We are united and will unitedly fight the atrocities of the central government,” he said.
Shiv Sena leader Amol Devlakar said, “The Sena is being targetted by the Modi government because we refused to ally with the BJP. The BJP reneged on its promise of chief ministership. The Sena joined hands with Congress and NCP to form the MVA government. The MVA, under Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, has been doing a good job. Even during the pandemic, the Chief Minister’s handling of the situation had drawn praise. This has unnerved the BJP, which is framing MVA leaders and ministers in false cases and raising non-issues. But the Sena and MVA will give a befitting reply. The MVA under his leadership will prove its mettle.”
NCP leader Prashant Jagtap said,”The MVA government has so far done a wonderful job, which has not gone down well with the BJP. Now, through parties like the MNS, it is trying to disturb peace in the state and destablise the government. But the MVA is an united force and its government is on firmer ground. We will unitedly fight attempts to vitiate the atmosphere.”
Retired Bombay High Court judge, Justice B G Kolse-Patil, said, “The central government is blatantly misusing agencies like the ED to target opponents. The BJP government has forgotten that it was elected to serve the people and not the party.”
