Launching a scathing attack on the BJ♊P-led NDA government, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray today called for opposition unity and a "Modi-mukt Bharat" by 2019.
Addressing party workers at a rally at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai, Thackeray said, "The country is fe﷽d up with the false promises made by (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi and his gover🍨nment."
All opposition partie𝓀s should come together to get rid of the BJP-led NDA government to ensure a "Modi-mukt Bharat"💦, he said, while reminding the audience of the BJP's "Congress-mukt Bharat" slogan.
"Ind🤪ia got its first independence in 1947, second in 1977 (after the post-Emergency election) and 2019 can bring a third independence if India become꧂s Modi-mukt," the MNS chief said.
If the Modi government was ousted and an inquiry was ordered into demonetisation, it (the note ban) might turn out tꦕo be the biggest scam in the count🥂ry since 1947, he said.
Quoting an ISRO report, Thackeray said, "A large-scale desertification of Maharashtra is going on due to the depletion of groundwater. After Rajasthan, our state has reported the second highest rate of desertification in the country.&quoℱt;
Saying this, he went on to🍃 question Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's claim of digging of 56,000 wells in the s♈tate.
The MNS chief said he was in favour of building a Ram temple in Ayodhya, but it should not be used as an♎ election issue.
"The Babri Masjid demolition case is♈ in the Supreme Court and it will be deliberately discussed in the coming days to instigate communal riots," he claimed.
"The Ram mandir should be built, but it should not be used as an election plank to divide t🐻he society and win votes," he said.
Taking a dig at Modi's fore🉐ign tours, Thackeray said the prime minister was apparently visiting thos♉e countries to get "flour for pakoda" as the visits had not fetched any investments.
The MNS chief also said films like &qu💧ot;Toilet Ek Prem Katha" and "Padman" were a covert propaganda for government schemes.
Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, who starred in both the films, was trying to follow the footsteps of 𝓀Manoj Kumar, an actor who was popularly known as "Bharat Kumar&quoꦿt;, he added.
"But Akshay Kumar is not even an Indian citizen. He holds a Canadian passport and Wikipedi𒅌a describes him as an Indian-bo♊rn Canadian actor," Thackeray said.
Taking potshots at Fadnavis, who recently featured in a video song about river conservation, the🌸 MNS chief said, "There are so many problems in the state, but apparently the CM is busy singing songs."
Thackeray also questioned the government's decision to accord a state funeral to Bollywood actor Sridevi lꦡast month.
"Sridevi was a great actor, but what did she do for the country thꩵat her body was wra𓃲pped in the tricolour?" he asked.
The media might h🥂ave covered her funeral extensively at the government's behest to divert the people's attention from the Nirav Modi-Punjab National Bank scam, he📖 said.
The government was trying to control the media, judiciary and agencies like the CBI, Thackeray said, alleging that the mꦅedia was under tremendous pressure from the BJP-led government.
Incidentally, Thackeray had met Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sh💝arad Pawar yesterday, ahead of today's rally.
He, however, descrꦅibed the meeting at Pawa🌸r's residence in south Mumbai as a courtesy call.
(PTI)
