’Why does BJP hate Maharashtra’: Aaditya Thackeray slams Budget 2024, says, ’it’s a shame that…’

Budget 2024: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray launched a scathing attack on Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented Union Budget 2024-25, and asked why the BJP hates Maharashtra.

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Maharashtra is among the states which are likely to go to polls later this year.

Criticising the Budget, Aaditya Thackeray questioned if Maharashtra was even mentioned in the budget, and alleged that they have often seen bias against the state.

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“I can understand the BJP wanting to save its government and giving Bihar and Andhra Pradesh a huge sum of the budget, Thackeray added, “But what is Maharashtra’s fault? That we are the largest taxpayer? What did we get against what we contribute? Was Maharashtra even mentioned once in the budget? Why does the BJP hate and insult Maharashtra so much?”

This isn’t the first time, said Thackeray, adding, “Through the entire past decade of BJP’s government, we have seen this bias against Maharashtra.”

Aaditya, who is also a Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA from Worli, said that it’s a shame that despite unconstitutionally forming a government and running the most corrupt regime in our state, Maharashtra gets nothing in return.

“Looting Maharashtra through mindhe (referring to Eknath Shinde) regime’s corruption and then taxes, direct and indirect. That’s what we face,” said the Sena (UBT) leader.

He also took a swipe at the infra related announcement and stated that the PR bubble of the NHAI has burst with the terrible state of the Mumbai-Nashik, Mumbai-Ahmedabad and Mumbai-Goa highways.

Meanwhile, targeting Sena UBT, Maharashtra Deputy CM and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis listed what Maharashtra has 'received' and said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always given priority to Maharashtra. The opposition is just trying to mislead the people of the state.”

Reacting to provisions announced for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, Thackeray said, “For those of us who believe that Bihar and Andhra Pradesh might get what has been promised in the budget today, we need to also look back at the decade.”

I would genuinely be happy if these states got the packages as promised, said Thackeray, adding, “It’s not the States of Bihar and Andhra Pradesh or the people, it’s the favoured contractors who will get the money.”

Congress leader Dhiraj Deshmukh who represents Latur Rural constituency said that despite Maharashtra being an important state in the country, no important provision has been made for the state.

Deshmukh added that central government was making new announcement without fulfilling old ones and said that people of the state will give the right answer in the assembly elections.