Raj has praise for Modi,criticism for all including Modi’s party

Calling Modi an institution,Thackeray asked ruling party ministers in the state to learn the development mantra from him. He,however,lashed out at Modi’s party,the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ally in Maharashtra,the Shiv Sena saying they showed double standards. He also minced no words in criticising the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP),in similar fashion.

Thackeray said,“The BJP is in alliance with Shiv Sena in Pune and Mumbai but in Nashik they contest separately. In Mumbai,Congress and NCP contest in alliance and in Pune they criticise each other. After the 2007 civic elections,Shiv Sena had supported NCP in PMC and BJP became the main opposition party.”

Thackeray also pointed out to the welcome Suresh Kalmadi had received on his return to Pune. He said,“How come Kalmadi was released exactly before PMC elections? And why did he get such a grand welcome knowing he was in jail for corruption?”

Thackeray contrasted the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) System project in Pune with that in Gujarat. “Public transport system in Pune is not improving because of nexus between automobile companies and politicians. Citizens are forced to drive their own vehicles because of poor public transport,” he said.

Thackeray asked ruling parties why they are not bringing in projects like the convention centre in Gandhinagar constructed on five lakh square feet within 180 days.

He also praised the Modi government on the power generation front. “Despite being in power in the state,why did the Congress-NCP government not sanction the development plan of Pune since 1987,” he said.

Criticising educational institutions,he also brought the locals-versus-outsiders issue in his speech and Symbiosis and its likes are catering to foreigners and outsiders and not local students.

“Lakhs of rupees are spent on admission to these organisations. Pune is no more a Vidya Nagari (City of Education),it is Commission Nagari … Donation Nagari,” he said.

He targeted the Congress-NCP for showing more interest in removing the Dadoji Konddev statue from Lal Mahal than removing encroachments.

Thackeray said the MNS got 75,000 votes in 2007 civic elections and 3.5 lakh votes in 2009 assembly elections. He said his party will get double the votes in the 2012 civic elections. He said he would soon place ads in newspapers declaring five to six important tasks his party would take up for development of the city.

Raj’s vehicle in no-parking,driver pays Rs 100 fine

Around 2 pm,when MNS chief Raj Thackeray went inside Vaishali Hotel on the F C Road for food,his vehicle was waiting for him to return in the “no parking” zone outside the hotel. As the mediapersons started clicking pictures of the vehicles in “no parking” zone,a team of traffic police reached the spot and fined MNS chief’s driver Shrinivas Ghadge. Deputy Commissioner of Police (traffic) Vishwas Pandhare said that the driver paid the fine of Rs 100 for parking the vehicle in no-parking zone,which was marked about two months before on security grounds.