“Opposition leaders are being harassed, raided and arrested”: Uddhav Thackeray targets BJP

Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (Maharashtra) [India], April 3 (ANI): Former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has hit out at the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) accusing it of “harassing, raiding and arresting the opposition leaders.”

Addressing a rally in Sambhaji Nagar on Sunday he also alleged that the BJP “took corrupt people from opposition parties to their party.”
“If something is said to PM Modi, then OBC is insulted. The PM said that efforts are being made to malign his image, then what about our image? Opposition leaders are being harassed, raided and arrested. BJP took corrupt people from opposition parties to their party,” said Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray.

Thackeray further alleged that the BJP is trying to steal the identity associated with his father late Bal Thackeray.

“BJP is trying to steal my father. If they have guts they should come to Maharashtra with PM Narendra Modi and I will come with my father’s name. BJP won’t survive after the voting,” he added.

Group clashes took place in Sambhaji Nagar on Ram Navami. A mob of more than 500 people allegedly attacked policemen on March 29, the night after some youths clashed with each other. The incident, which lasted about an hour, took place in the Kiradpura locality, which is home to a famous Ram temple.

“Sambhajinagar police arrested a total of 28 accused and another 50 persons have been identified till now in connection with Kiradpura violence case,” Sambhajinagar Commissioner of Police CP Nikhil Gupta had said.

Earlier on Sunday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde led the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena’s ‘Savarkar Gaurav Yatra’ in Thane.

The yatra comes amid the efforts by the ruling coalition to play up Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s comments on Veer Savarkar following his disqualification from the Lok Sabha.

Rahul, who was disqualified as an MP after being convicted in the criminal defamation case over his ‘Modi’ surname remark, on March 25, had said, “My name is not Savarkar, my name is Gandhi. Gandhis don’t apologise to anyone.”

The BJP and ruling Maharashtra ally Sena had slammed Rahul’s remarks while the chief of the rival Sena camp and former CM, Uddhav Thackeray, too, voiced concerns over it.