New Delhi: Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, in an exclusive interview to IANS, said that the “people of this country will not forgive the people who hurled abuses at Prime Minister Modi’s late mother and will give them a befitting reply in the upcoming polls.”
He also accused the opposition of deliberately raising issues which have no relevance, and their claims of ‘vote chori’ are an insult to the people’s mandate.
Here are the excerpts from the interview –
IANS: Rahul Gandhi and Tejasvi Yadav are campaigning together for the Bihar election. But we have seen personal comments against PM Modi and his late mother. How do you see this?
Eknath Shinde: This is very shameful. This is against the moral principles to drag PM Modi’s late mother into politics. This should be condemned. Our cultures are not like that. We have an old civilisation, and our culture doesn’t teach us. Rahul Gandhi has targeted him many times in the past, but PM Modi never even mentioned that.
PM Modi is a workaholic; he works for the development of India, he is making the country proud, and he has an aim for Viksit Bharat 2047. Today, many countries in the world are facing a rough economic situation, while our country has jumped from 11th to fifth position at the economic level. Now, we have an aim to secure the third-largest economy.
The country is proud of PM Modi. Before 2014, every section of media, from print to electronic, was full of scams such as the Commonwealth scam, 2G scam, coal scam, fodder scam and the country was fed up and therefore, PM Modi’s government came. Tell me one incident where the opposition has targeted PM Modi for corruption.
There is not even a single case of any corruption because for the opposition, corruption is first, but for PM Modi, the nation is first. PM Modi has a clean image, and nobody can question that, but attacking PM Modi inside the country and even abroad is not good.
On Operation Sindoor, the opposition questioned the Army and was asking questions; this is not love for the nation. Even then, PM Modi did not care much and kept on working for his development agenda. PM Modi’s late mother had no connection with any party. She was a mother, she lived like a common person, we all know that. She is like our mother, and those who used wrong words against her, for them also she is like their mother. Let me tell you, anyone who spoke against the mother and used wrong words, history has never forgiven them.
Those who spoke ill of PM Modi and spoke wrongly against his mother, the people of the country will never forgive them and will give them a befitting reply. Bihar’s people will give them a befitting reply.
IANS: Do you feel that the Opposition has no issues to fight on, whether it was in Maharashtra or now in Bihar? Is that why they are raising such things?
Eknath Shinde: The opposition has no issue. They know nothing except to oppose. PM Modi is working for the development, Maharashtra is developing, and these opposition leaders allege of ‘vote chori’ or EVM fraud, but when they win, they do not raise these issues. Then, for them Election Commission is right, but when they lose, then they accuse the Election Commission. The people of Maharashtra have already given them (opposition) a response. Opposition’s claims of vote chori are an insult to the people’s mandate, the mandate of our daughters and mothers. In the coming election, people will give the opposition a befitting reply.
IANS: Maharashtra Bhawan will be set up in London. How do you see this?
Eknath Shinde: This is a big development, and we are all very happy. The Maharashtra government has given a Rs 5 crore cheque for this also. The bhawan will be named – Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. This is a big moment for us. The 11-12 forts have reached the different parts of our country; it is a big thing, a matter of pride
IANS: What is your take on the Maratha reservation issue?
Eknath Shinde: Whatever decision the Maharashtra government has taken, it all falls in the legal ambit. CM Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar and I discussed this matter a lot, took feedback from experts, talked to Advocate General, and the government has also issued a GR (Government resolution) regarding these demands. This will only benefit the people.
(IANS)
