I.N.D.I.A a front without neta, neeti, niyat: Devendra Fadnavis

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis

Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the I.N.D.I.A bloc is a team of family-run parties that do not have neta, neeti and niyat (leader, policy and intention). "So far, they have not been able to decide the convenor and and their prime ministerial candidate," he said as the 28-party Opposition gathered in Mumbai for its third meeting. Fadnavis said that in the absence of leadership, policy and intention, the Opposition's only motive was to oppose PM Narendra Modi.
"Their only agenda is Modi-hatao (remove Modi), but Modi ji is in the hearts of people. Let 100 parties come together. Modi ji is there in the position because of his leadership, development work, and welfare of the poor.

He has given everything to the country," Fadnavis said ahead of the BJP's meeting with its allies on Thursday night and Friday. "The (political) dynasties are worried that their shops would be shut and hence they are flocking together," added the former CM, saying that the Opposition's meeting will have no impact.

Earlier in the day, the Shiv Sena and other BJP leaders attacked the Opposition. Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) and the BJP came down heavily on Shiv Sena (UBT) for laying a red carpet for the opponents of Hindutva ahead of the I.N.D.I.A Front conclave scheduled to begin later in the day.

MP Gajanan Kirtikar said that former Jammu and Kashmir CMs Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti will be welcomed by Thackeray.

"Balasaheb Thackeray founded the Shiv Sena for Hindutva and ensured its success. But now Thackeray's slavery of the Congress will be on full display. Thackeray will welcome Lalu Prasad Yadav who had stopped Rath Yatra. He will also lay a red carpet for Rahul Gandhi to be the PM," said Kirtikar.

Minister Dipak Kesarkar said Mumbai was Balasaheb's land. "Will the guests pay respect to Balasaheb at his samadhi? Will they clarify their stand on Savarkar ?" he said. State BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule mocked the conclave as a gathering of the ghamandia (egoist) PM hopefuls.

"They are day-dreaming. The surveys show who is going to win the next election. Thackeray says it's a quantum leap of the Opposition but it is nothing but a team of beasts that attacks the PM," he said.