Time to liberate Sambhajinagar from 'new Nizams': Amit Shah

Amit Shah. Pic/AFP

In an apparent reference to the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said it was time to "liberate" Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar from "new Nizams", reported news agency PTI.

Speaking at a rally in the central Maharashtra city, he also targeted opposition parties for promoting dynasties, and claimed that Congress leader Sonia Gandhi wanted to make her son Rahul Gandhi prime minister.

"The entire Marathwada region was under the Nizam rule. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel liberated Marathwada from Nizam, and now it is time to liberate Sambhajinagar from new Nizams," Shah said, reported PTI.

In the 2019 general elections, AIMIM's Imtiyaz Jaleel defeated undivided Shiv Sena's Chandrakant Khaire, supported by the BJP.

"Sonia Gandhi wants to make her son Rahul prime minister of the country. Sharad Pawar wants to make his daughter chief minister of Maharashtra. How can the heads of political parties who are helping only their family members ever do anything to benefit their country or make Bharat safe?" the BJP leader further said, reported PTI.

The people of Maharashtra gave the Bharatiya Janata Party (and its ally Shiv Sena) more than 41 out of 48 Lok Sabha seats in 2014 and 2019, Shah said, adding, "I want more than 45 Lok Sabha seats this time," reported PTI.

Coming down heavily on former ally Uddhav Thackeray, Shah said, "Uddhav Thackeray should be ashamed of joining hands with those who opposed the surgical strike," reported PTI.

Thackeray parted ways with the BJP in 2019 and formed a government in the state with the Congress and undivided NCP.

Targeting Sharad Pawar further, Shah said the NCP leader and his allies should have a debate about their achievements of the last 40 years when they were in power, against the achievements of the Narendra Modi government in the last ten years.

Any worker of the BJP youth wing was ready to have an open debate with Sharad Pawar, and "our work of ten years will definitely carry the day," he said, reported PTI.

From 2004 to 2014, the UPA government gave Rs 1.91 lakh crore to Maharashtra, while the Modi government gave Rs 7.15 lakh crore to the state, the Union minister claimed.

Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis criticised Uddhav Thackeray over the renaming of Aurangabad as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, claiming that Thackeray "tried to take the decision" to rename the city only on the last day of his government, on the day it lost majority, reported PTI.

"But we took the decision in the very first cabinet meeting, and it was sent to the Center. Home Minister Amit Shah approved it," Fadnavis said, reported PTI.

(With inputs from PTI)