What happened to ₹70,000 crore scam by NCP, Uddhav asks PM Modi

A day after Pune-based Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust announced its decision to confer the Lokmanya Tilak National Award on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and invited Sharad Pawar as the chief guest, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday took aim at the PM’s recent comments about a “₹70,000 crore scam” allegedly involving the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)

A day after Pune-based Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust announced its decision to confer the Lokmanya Tilak National Award on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and invited Sharad Pawar as the chief guest, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday took aim at the PM’s recent comments about a “₹70,000 crore scam” allegedly involving the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

Prominent among the invitees for the August 1 event are Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar. Mr. Ajit Pawar joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra as Deputy CM on July 2 while eight MLAs of his camp were sworn in as Ministers.

“What happened to the ₹70,000 crore scam? Who all will be there on stage? That (the NCP) party is with you,” Mr. Thackeray asked.

The criticism follows Mr. Modi’s recent statements made at a BJP booth workers’ meeting in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, where he mentioned multiple allegations of scams involving the NCP, including the irrigation scam, cooperative bank scam and illegal mining scam.

Mr. Thackeray slammed the Central government for the alleged misuse of investigative agencies to target Opposition parties and said, “Time is cruel. When it turns against them, it will be difficult for them.”

Further, he expressed his disappointment with the current state of politics in the country and Maharashtra, and compared the situation with that of IPL. “Present day politics in the country has become like IPL, and no one knows who is playing from which side,” he said in a blistering attack on the rival Eknath Shinde faction and the Bharatiya Janata Party. He said people are dissatisfied, and the government seems indifferent to their concerns.

When asked about the possibility of an alliance between his party and his estranged cousin Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, Mr. Thackeray evaded the question.