‘Fulfilled Balasaheb Thackeray’s wish’: What PM Modi said at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar rally in Maharashtra

Maharashtra Elections: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday invoked the late Shiv Sena founder while addressing an election rally in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, saying the Mahayuti government fulfilled Balasaheb Thackeray's wish, and launched a scathing attack on opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

“Mahayuti govt renamed Aurangabad as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and fulfilled Balasaheb Thackeray's wish,” said Modi.

Stating that the whole of Maharashtra knows that the demand to rename the city as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar was raised by Balasaheb Thackeray, Modi added, “The Congress party went to the court to overturn this decision.”

The prime minister said that the Maha Vikas Aghadi government was in power for two and a half years but did not have the courage to rename the city because of pressure from the Congress.

Here's what Modi said

— Some people see their messiah in the killer of Sambhaji Maharaj. Aren't they standing against Maharashtra and Maratha pride? Will Maharashtra ever accept such people?

— The Mahayuti govt gave over ₹1,600 crore for power supply in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar; the Aghadi people applied brakes on that too.

— Maharashtra saw the highest foreign direct investment after the formation of the BJP-led Mahayuti govt.

— The Congress and its allies want the restoration of Article 370 and are planning a separate Constitution for Kashmir.

— To form the government, the Congress party believes in division and not development. From the beginning, the Congress has been against reservation.

— The Congress used to call the reservation against the country and merit. The mentality and agenda of the Congress remains unchanged. Therefore, they can't come to terms with the fact that someone from OBC has been the PM of the country for the last 10 years.

— When Devendra (Fadnavis) ji was the CM, he launched the Jalyukt Shivar scheme, because of which the issue of water crisis in Marathwada started improving. But then, the Maha Vikas Aghad came into power for 2.5 years. They had stopped this scheme as well. When the Mahayuti govt came to power, this scheme resumed.