Maharashtra Election: At Mumbai rally, PM Modi’s ‘remote control’ jibe at Uddhav, likens Congress to ‘fish out of water’

Maharashtra Election: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday taunted Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray for ‘handing over the remote control’ of the party to the Congress.

“Mumbai is a city of self-respect, but a party in Maha Vikas Aghadi has handed over its remote control to those who insulted Balasaheb Thackeray,” Modi said, addressing a public rally in Mumbai for the Maharashtra assembly elections.

The rally at Shivaji Park was Modi's last campaign event in Maharashtra ahead of polling on November 20. He addressed two other rallies before the one in Mumbai on Thursday.

“That is why I challenged them to get the Congress to praise Balasaheb Thackeray. Till date these people have not been able to get the Congress and the prince of Congress (Rahul Gandhi) to praise Balasaheb,” Modi said.

The BJP,in alliance with Ajit Pawar-led NCP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena under the ruling Mahayuti banner, is contesting against the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance comprising the Shiv Sena (UBT), the NCP (Sharad Pawar) and the Congress.

Modi said the Congress is desperate for power, adding the grand old party is like a fish out of water.

"Mumbai is a city that believes in connecting people. Unfortunately, the Congress and the Maha Vikas Aghadi seem focused on dividing them instead. People from all communities live in harmony in Mumbai, but the Maha Aghadi is busy inciting tensions between different castes. The Congress's Shahi parivaar harbours animosity towards Dalits, backward classes, and Scheduled Tribes (STs). They seem desperate for power, much like a fish out of water," Modi said.

Modi also said that terror attacks kept happening across the country during the Congress regime. “Everywhere people were scared of unclaimed objects. But now all this has stopped,” he said. “Terror masters now know that if they do anything against India, Modi won’t spare them,” he said accusing the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi of questioning India’s achievements.

‘Congress wants to push the youth towards drugs’

Earlier in the day, Modi took a dig at the Congress party, highlighting the alleged links to a significant drug syndicate involving the former chairman of the RTI Cell of Delhi Pradesh Congress. PM Modi accused Congress of attempting to "push the youth towards drugs and use that money to contest and win elections".

The Prime Minister referenced a recent investigation into an international drug syndicate, which indicated that the mastermind behind the ₹5,600 crore cocaine shipment allegedly had ties to Congress, according to Delhi police.

"Drugs worth thousands of crores have been recovered in Delhi. The main accused in this drug racket is a Congress leader. Congress wants to push the youth towards drugs and use that money to contest and win elections. We need to stay aware of this," PM Modi said while addressing a gathering in Washim, Maharashtra.

Emphasising the benefits for Maharashtra's farmers, PM Modi described the state's "double engine government" as instrumental in providing additional support. "The double engine government of Maharashtra is providing double benefit to the farmers of Maharashtra. Under the Namo Shetkari Mahasamman Nidhi Yojana, more than 90 lakh farmers of Maharashtra have been given about 1900 crore rupees," he said.

(With agency inputs)