Uddhav targets BJP, says graft visible everywhere

Attack follows various scams that surfaced in Maharashtra and at the Centre

 

Hitting out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said “corruption is visible everywhere”. Uddhav did not elaborate on his comment, but said many cases of corruption and irregularities have surfaced in Maharashtra and at the Centre since the BJP-led governments assumed office.

Thackeray’s swipe at the BJP indicates all is not well between the ruling partners in Maharashtra. The Shiv Sena, which contested the Assembly election independently after the BJP severed the 25-year alliance between the two parties, later joined the state government.

Thackeray made his statement at the party’s function to distribute goods vehicles to Marathi youths. The latest attack follows the Shiv Sena's targeting the BJP on the alleged scam in Maharashtra relating to the fake degrees, purchase of Rs 206 crore worth of items to be distributed under the Integrated Child Development Scheme, and the Rs 191-crore contract for purchase of fire extinguishers for zilla parishad schools. Three senior ministers of the BJP —Vinod Tawde, Pankaja Munde and Babanrao Lonikar — are under the scanner. According to Thackeray termed the corruption charges against Munde ‘serious’.

Shiv Sena MPs Sanjay Raut and Arvind Desai said if Sena supremo Bal Thackeray were alive now, he would have preferred the BJP ministers to resign until they were cleared of corruption charges.

On the Lalit Modi controversy, the Sena backed the external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, but demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi order an investigation on who is so keen on maligning her clean reputation of 35-40 years.

A Shiv Sena MP, who did not wish to be named, told Business Standard: “The BJP had won the polls assuring a corruption-free India. However, the recent controversies at the Centre and in Maharashtra have been a matter of serious concern. The BJP-led government should reiterate its commitment to fulfil its poll promises and take ruthless actions.”