Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackery on Saturday heaped praise on the NDA government in the Centre and said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should continue at the helm after the elections as well.
Reiterating his support for PM Modi and the NDA, Raj Thakeray said “Narendra Modi should be the PM again. (The) Modi government has taken many important steps in the progress of India.”
“I had opposed the Modi government in the first 5 years because the situation was different at that time, but as the Modi government started working on new schemes, my views changed. Be it Article 370, Ram Mandir or NRC,” the firebrand leader added.
The MNS chief, who recently made his allegiance to the BJP-led NDA official, went ahead to say “The work of Ram Mandir (in Ayodhya) was stalled for many decades. No one could complete that task but the Modi government did it. Had PM Modi not been there, Ram temple would not have been built. It would have remained a pending issue.”
Raj Thackery expressed his firm belief that Prime Minister Narendra Modi treated every state equally and did not discriminate against any state. He further said that this is the reason why he has asked his party workers and leaders to support Mahayuti candidates wherever possible.
Raj Thackeay said, “MNS will prepare a list of leaders the ‘Mahayuti’ alliance can contact for poll coordination.”
However, he did not make clear whether he would be addressing or attending any rallies conducted under the Mahayuti alliance of the BJP, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction).
The MNS president added that he would raise the demands seeking classical language status to Marathi and restoration of forts in the state with the PM Modi-led government.
Meanwhile, Raj Thackery also attacked the Shiv Sena faction led by his cousin and former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray for raising suspicions about his ‘unconditional support’ to the NDA, saying they have ‘jaundiced eyes.’
The polling for the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra will be held over five phases from April 19 to May 20.
Source: India Today