MVA is ‘Aurangzeb Fan Club’, Sharad Pawar ‘Godfather of corruption’: Amit Shah

Amit Shah criticizes Maha Vikas Aghadi, calls Uddhav Thackeray leader of "Aurangazeb Fan Club" and accuses Sharad Pawar of corruption.

In his first campaign visit to Maharashtra ahead of the Assembly elections, BJP leader and Union Minister Amit Shah attacked all three constituents of the Maha Vikas Aghadi. Addressing party workers in Pune on Sunday, he termed the alliance the “Aurangazeb Fan Club” and said Shiv Sena (UBT) chief and former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray was its leader.

He also called Congress leader Rahul Gandhi arrogant and alleged that Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar was the “Godfather of corruption”.

“Uddhav Thackeray is sitting with those who sought clemency for 1993 blasts — convict Yakub Memon,” Mr. Shah said, adding that Mr. Thackeray had joined hands with those who had given the messenger of peace award to controversial preacher Zakir Naik and served biryani to 26/11 Mumbai terror attack convict Ajmal Kasab. “He should be ashamed of sitting with these people.”

Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh in 2016 had called Mr. Naik as “a messenger of peace”. During the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack trial, the case’s Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, who recently lost the Lok Sabha election from Mumbai North Central and was then appointed as BJP’s spokesperson, had cooked up the narrative of Kasab being served biryani. Jail authorities, and later Mr. Nikam himself, denied the claim.

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Mr. Shah also reminded the gathering that the MVA had failed to rename Aurangabad as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar when it had been in power in the State.

In a scathing attack against Mr. Pawar, Mr. Shah not only referred to him as corrupt but also a Godfather of graft, someone who “institutionalised corruption and yet [is] calling us corrupt”. “I am asking Sharad Pawar, what have you given to Maharashtra apart from fake assurances during the UPA regime?” Mr. Shah questioned.