Raj Thackeray attacks PM Modi, Fadnavis over 2014 election promises

Modi had said if voted to power, BJP govt will deposit Rs 15 lakh in bank account of every citizen

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray today attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his 2014 election promise of depositing Rs 15 lakh in bank accounts of every Indian by repatriating black money stashed abroad.

He also attacked the Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and accused him of "speaking lies".

"In the run-up to 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Narendra Modi (who was the BJP's PM nominee) had promised that if voted to power the BJP government will deposit Rs 15 lakh in the bank account of every citizen," Thackeray said addressing a rally in the support of his party candidates for the February 21 elections to the Nashik Municipal Corporation.

Criticising the NDA government for its plan to construct the grand memorial of Chhatrapati Shivaji in the Arabian sea off Mumbai, Thackeray said they should instead use Rs 8,000 crore fund for repairing the forts constructed by the warrior king in 17th century.

"As th BJP and Sena do not have eligible candidates for the polls, they are importing people from other parties by spending crores. They have fielded 88 candidates with a criminal background," the MNS chief said.

He claimed the Central Government had allocated fund of Rs 2200 crore for the Ujjain Kumbh mela held last year.

"They had made such allocation for the city (Ujjain) with population of only five lakh whereas for Kumbh fair held in Nashik with 16 lakh population, they had allocated only Rs 700 crore," Thackeray said.

He said the MNS-led Nashik civic body managed funds of Rs 400 crore and constructed 510-km roads to conduct the religious congregation.

He said the civic body undertook a string of developmental initiatives for the temple city in the last five years, including building a world-class botanical garden.