At Sambhajinagar rally, Amit Shah lashes out at the dynastic ambitions of INDIA alliance parties

Union Home Minister Amit Shah criticizes Opposition INDIA bloc for prioritizing dynastic politics over national welfare at Sambhajinagar rally.

Accusing leaders of the Opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc of caring only about the political ambitions of their kin, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on March 5 said that those who worked only for the welfare of their sons, daughters, and nephews were incapable of working for the welfare of the country.

Addressing a massive rally in Sambhajinagar (formerly Aurangabad), Mr. Shah said that leaders in the INDIA bloc of parties did not “practice the politics of principles but of dynasty”.

“There are two camps ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha election. One, the NDA alliance under PM Modi’s leadership, the other, an arrogant INDIA alliance under Rahul Gandhi which is a coalition of dynastic parties. Sonia Gandhi’s aim is to make Rahul Gandhi the next PM. Sharad Pawar’s aim is to make his daughter [Supriya Sule] the next CM of Maharashtra. Uddhav Thackeray’s aim is to see his son [Aaditya] as CM. Mamata Banerjee’s aim is to make his nephew [Abhishek Banerjee] the CM of West Bengal. Those who work for their sons, daughters and nephews cannot think of their country,” Mr. Shah said.

Mr. Shah is on a two-day visit to the State amid seat-sharing turmoil within the ruling Mahayuti parties (Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, the BJP, and Ajit Pawar-led NCP). Prior to his rally, he held pre-election meetings with local leaders in Akola while attending a youth conclave in Jalgaon. He is also expected to hold meetings with CM Shinde and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar to iron out the seat-sharing arrangements.

Meanwhile, Mr. Shah took particular aim at NCP leader Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray - leaders of the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra - during his speech. 

He lashed out at Mr. Thackeray for consorting with those parties (Congress and Sharad Pawar-led NCP) who had opposed the renaming of Aurangabad to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (after the Maratha warrior-king Sambhaji, Shivaji’s son who was cruelly executed by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1689).

“Uddhav Thackeray should be ashamed of himself. The parties with whom you are consorting with had opposed the removal of Article 370 from Kashmir, the surgical strike on terrorists, and had blocked the name change of Aurangabad from Sambhajinagar. How can those who side with parties which had opposed Bal Thackeray’s dream [of seeing Aurangabad changed to Sambhajinagar] claim to be his legatees?” Mr. Shah said.