
Speaking at the Shiv Sena’s annual Dussehra rally, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday slammed the BJP over its promise of free Covid-19 vaccination for the people of Bihar. He asked the BJP-led central government if people from other states were ‘from Bangladesh or Kazakhstan’.
“Those speaking like that should be ashamed of themselves. You are at the Centre,” he added.
The promise is point number one of the 11 “sankalp” commitments in BJP’s manifesto for the Bihar election.
दसरा मेळावा – २०२० https://t.co/98TroPYYw8
— Office of Uddhav Thackeray (@OfficeofUT) October 25, 2020
The annual rally was held at the Savarkar hall in Dadar this year due to coronavirus norms, instead of the usual venue, the sprawling Shivaji Park.
In a veiled attack on actress Kangana Ranaut, Thackeray said some people come to Mumbai for bread and butter and then abuse the city by calling it Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Breaking his silence on allegations against his son Aaditya in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case, Uddhav Thackeray said those “crying for justice for Bihar’s son are indulging in character assassination of Maharashtra’s son.”
The Shiv Sena chief said he didn’t need take lessons on Hindutva from anyone. “They say my Hindutva is not like Balasaheb Thackeray’s Hindutva. They are asking why I am not opening temples in the state. I say my Hindutva is not about clanging utensils and bells.” Taking a dig at former ally BJP, he also asked if beef was banned in Maharashtra, why was it not banned in BJP-ruled Goa.
Thackeray also said the time has come to reconsider the present GST system and if necessary, to modify it, as states are not benefiting from this system. “PM should acknowledge it and revert to the old tax regime. We (Maharashtra) are yet to get our Rs 38,000 crore as GST refund,” he said.
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The Centre was recently locked in a long tussle with several states over GST payments.
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