PM's jibe at Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray: 'All fake leaders should...'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday took a dig at Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and said that both should join Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde factions. He asserted that "fake NCP and Shiv Sena" made up their minds to merge with the Congress after the Lok Sabha election results were declared on June 4.

"A senior leader from Maharashtra is very tensed after an election in Baramati. He made a statement that all the smaller regional parties should get merged into Congress. I am sure he would have made this statement after consulting with several leaders," PM Modi said at a rally in Maharashtra's Nandurbar without naming Sharad Pawar.

"He is so desperate and disappointed that he knows to remain relevant in social and political life after June 4, one needs to merge a bigger party with the Congress. This means that 'nakli' (fake) NCP and 'nakli' Shiv Sena have made their minds to merge with the Congress," he added.

"I should tell them that instead of dying in Congress, you should proudly join our Ajit dada (Pawar) and Shinde ji to fulfill your dreams respectfully," he said.

In an interview with The Indian Express, Sharad Pawar said, "In the next couple of years, several regional parties will associate more closely with the Congress. Or they may look at the option of merging with the Congress if they believe that is the best for their party."

Speaking at the rally, PM Modi also accused the Congress of conspiring to end 'Hindu aastha' (faith). In a dig at former Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, he said, "The guru of Congress's 'shehzada' has told the US that Ram temple and Ram Navami festivities are against the idea of India."

Pitroda on Wednesday resigned after stoking controversy with his remarks that cited ethnic and racial identities like Chinese, Africans, Arabs and Whites to describe the physical appearance of Indians.

"Congress calls people with Lord Krishna’s colour Africans. So they didn't want Droupadi Murmu to be the President of India. Isn't it an insult of adivasis?" he asked.

PM Modi said that the Congress's agenda was so dangerous that if it terms Ram temple construction and Ram Navami celebrations against the idea of India. "They may say my going to the temple is anti-India. See the Congress mindset, that in the land of Ram, a temple is anti-India," he alleged.

These people organise 'sarkari iftar' and beautify the graves of terrorists, he claimed.

He said the Congress knows it cannot match the BJP over development. "So, it has opened a factory of lies on reservation and Constitution and their ecosystem is filled with rumours," he said.

"On the Constitution change rumour, it is nothing but a 'chor machaye shor' (thieves creating noise) situation for Congress. It wants to introduce reservations based on religion, which is against the Constitution. Making such an attempt is like stabbing the maker of the Constitution in the back," he said.

In Karnataka, PM Modi alleged, that the Congress turned Muslims into OBCs overnight and now it wanted to snatch quotes from tribals and Dalits.

"In Maharashtra, the Maha Vikas Aghadi is running a ‘maha abhiyan’ (mega drive) to finish off quota while I am doing ‘maha rakshan ka maha yagna’ (grand ritual for protection) to save it," he said.

"I have been challenging the Congress to give in writing that it will not end the SC and ST quota and give it to Muslims. But Congress is not replying. They have a hidden agenda to loot your rights. But they are spreading rumours by being hand in glove with anti-national elements," he said.

In the Nandurbar seat, the BJP has renominated incumbent MP Heena Gavi, who is pitted against Gowaal Padavi of Congress. The constituency will go to the polls in the fourth phase of the general elections on May 13. Results are expected on June 4.

(with inputs from PTI)