Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday attended the live broadcast of the 100th episode of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Mann Ki Baat radio address in Mumbai.
Remarking that Mann ki Baat “was not just a radio programme, but a movement for social change for the better,” Mr. Shah said the PM’s words to achievers had “inspired the young generation to take charge of the nation’s destiny and build a better future for all.”
In Mr. Shah’s second visit to Maharashtra this month, he was flanked by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis while tuning in to the PM’s radio address, which was organised by the Mumbai unit of the BJP.
“Through Mann ki Baat, PM crafts messages that venture into the nooks and corners of the nation, building bridges between the people and the government. Platforming dialogues on different regions, languages and dialects, he strengthens India’s social democracy,” Mr. Shah tweeted.
The Union Home Minister’s visit comes amid swirling rumours of fresh political alignments in the State, with frequent claims by the Opposition Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) that the BJP brass was reportedly ‘unhappy’ with Mr. Shinde and was looking for a replacement.
A team led by Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar organised Maan Ki Baat events in 5,000 places across 36 Assembly constituencies in the city and nearby areas, covering six Lok Sabha seats and all 227 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) wards.
All the 105 BJP legislators in Maharashtra, along with party office-bearers and local district units, mobilised party workers to listen to the PM’s address as the State BJP unit went all out to make the event a success. Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari attended it along with citizens at his home town Nagpur.
Commenting on Mr. Shah’s visit, Uddhav camp MP Sanjay Raut sardonically remarked that the Union Home Minister had come to witness the preparations that the Opposition tripartite Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) of the Sena (UBT), the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress were making ahead of the mega MVA rally on the occasion of Maharashtra Day, May 1, in Mumbai.
“The BJP is rattled by the overwhelming response to the MVA’s previous Vajramooth rallies in Sambhajinagar [formerly Aurangabad] and Nagpur. Mumbai on the occasion of Maharashtra Day will be even bigger. All three parties are working under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray and all top leaders of the MVA will be present. Aaditya Thackeray has left no stone unturned in the preparation of this rally… Amit Shah has come to see our Mumbai rally,” quipped Mr. Raut.
