BJP to counter MVA over anti-farmer stand, pandemic failures

Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray | Pic: AFP

The Maharashtra BJP has planned a counter-offensive against the MVA government, which has accused the Opposition of defaming the state by running smear campaigns on social media. The party says it will expose the MVA for no governance, alleged scams, an anti-farmer stand and corruption in the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Addressing the party's state executive on Thursday, ex-CM Devendra Fadnavis said the MVA's acts have brought a bad name to the state. "It's your inaction and failure to provide solutions that continue to defame Maharashtra. It has been your effort to blame everything on the Centre," he told the MVA, adding that the government wasn't the chosen one but made by the treachery of some people.

Reminding Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray of the Shiv Sena's fight for Gods, country and religion, Fadnavis said he didn't expect the son of Sena founder Bal Thackeray to change so much ideologically. "I feel bad [about the Sena's make-over] because we have been together for years," he said.

The BJP has decided to fight the MVA on fronts like the agriculture laws that are being opposed despite the state being the first to welcome open markets and allow contract farming, the inordinate delay in reopening temples, Maratha reservation and crime against women.

Fadnavis and BJP have been under attack from the MVA in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case. The MVA asked Fadnavis if he would campaign for the leaders and retired police officers in Bihar who defamed Maharashtra government and Mumbai police.

Fadnavis quotes Pawar

Quoting from the autobiography of the former union agriculture minister and NCP boss Sharad Pawar, Fadnavis said the learned leader was actually a proponent of reforms in the farm sector. "Pawar didn't observe a fast against the laws but protested the suspension of (Rajya Sabha) MPs. Actually, he has been supporting the reforms all along," he said.

According to Fadnavis, some contents of the newly-passed farm laws were recommended by a task force appointed by Sharad Pawar (during the UPA government). "When Narendra Modi implements Pawar's thoughts, he doesn't get hailed as the saviour of farmers. But when Pawar does the same, he gets all the credit. Maharashtra's NCP-Congress government allowed contract farming in 2006, but now the same party opposes the reform because Sonia Gandhi has put them under pressure (for stabilising the MVA government). The Shiv Sena has also joined them despite being in favour of the reforms," he said.

On Hathras

Fadnavis said the Hathras incident was heinous and condemnable. "But why are the Congress and others so selective in condemning crimes against women. They don't protest such incidents taking place in non-BJP states," asked the ex-CM.

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