Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on May 7 accused Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar of echoing Pakistan’s rhetoric, following the latter’s recent remarks that an Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-affiliated policeman, not slain terrorist Ajmal Kasab, killed the then Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare. Mr. Fadnavis also questioned the silence of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray over Mr. Wadettiwar’s statements. “Why is Uddhav Thackeray silent regarding Wadettiwar’s statement about Karkare?” he asked.
Mr. Wadettiwar, Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly, alleged that Karkare, who led the ATS during the 26/11 terror attack, was not killed by Kasab but by a policeman linked to the RSS. He made these remarks while criticising the BJP’s Mumbai North Central candidate Ujjwal Nikam, who served as the special public prosecutor in the 26/11 trial.
Mr. Fadnavis accused the Congress leader of speaking the language of Pakistan and claimed that while the entire country supported Mr. Nikam, the Congress supported the terrorist Ajmal Kasab. “Mr. Wadettiwar is speaking the language of Pakistan by saying that Ajmal Kasab did not kill Hemant Karkare. The entire country was with Nikam, while the Congress was with terrorist Ajmal Kasab,” the BJP leader alleged.
‘Muslims benefited’
Further, Mr. Fadnavis also dismissed the Congress’ allegation that the country was heading towards dictatorship, citing the dictatorship experienced in 1975 when the entire Opposition was imprisoned for two years. He criticised those accusing his government of dictatorship, claiming that minorities and Muslims have benefited the most from the welfare schemes of the Narendra Modi-led NDA government. “People who have a dictatorship in their blood are accusing us of the same. Minorities and Muslims benefited the most from the Modi government’s welfare schemes. Mr. Modi believes in giving all benefits to the poor. The Congress is playing divisive politics and the country has faced division because of this earlier,” he said.
Mr. Fadnavis also alleged that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Mr. Thackeray had planned to arrest him and even brought in a Mumbai Police Commissioner to execute the plan.
Shinde Sena MP joins BJP
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena MP Rajendra Gavit rejoined the BJP on Tuesday in the presence of Mr. Fadnavis. Mr. Gavit, the incumbent MP of the Palghar Lok Sabha seat, was previously in the Congress and a Minister in the Congress-NCP alliance government.
He first became an MP in 2018 from Palghar in a by-election on a BJP ticket. In 2019, the undivided Shiv Sena claimed the seat with Mr. Gavit as its candidate, and he retained it. Following the split in the Shiv Sena in 2022, he joined the faction led by Mr. Shinde.
As part of the Mahayuti seat-sharing deal, the BJP has chosen Hemant Savara as its candidate for the Palghar Lok Sabha constituency.
