Congress used Northeast as ATM, BJP considers eight states 'Ashtalakshmi': PM Modi
Dimapur (Nagaland) (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday claimed that the Congress used Northeast as an ATM, while the BJP considers the eight states of the region as 'Ashtalakshmi' (eight forms of Goddess Lakshmi) and is working for its peace and development.
Addressing an election rally in Dimapur, he said the NDA is striving to bring permanent peace in Nagaland so that Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 is completely lifted from the state.
"The country can't be run by distrusting your own people but by respecting and solving their problems. Earlier, Northeast had politics of divide, but we have now transformed it into divine governance. The BJP does not discriminate people on the basis of religion or region and religion," Modi said.
Noting that there was political instability in Nagaland during the Congress rule, he claimed that the grand old party remote-controlled Northeast from Delhi, and siphoned off money meant for its development, while giving primacy to "dynasty politics, from Delhi to Dimapur".
"The Congress and its partners' policy for Northeast has been to 'get vote and forget'. Congress leaders from Delhi turned a blind eye to the problems of Nagaland. Ten years ago, nobody would have dreamt that circumstances can change in the region," he said.
Modi claimed the BJP has put a big dent in corruption by employing technology, as a result of which money sent from Delhi is directly credited to beneficiaries' bank accounts.
The PM asserted that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has adopted three mantras for running Nagaland -- peace, progress and prosperity.
"The focus of every central government scheme has been women, tribals and the poor. The BJP also gave Nagaland its first woman Rajya Sabha MP," he said.
Noting that there has been a 75 per cent reduction in incidents of violence in Nagaland, he asserted that many youths have returned to the mainstream.
"We have worked for infrastructural development of Northeast. The change is evident. We will support the youth in sectors ranging from tourism to technology, and sports to start-ups," he added.
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We are together at home: Sharad Pawar on Ajit Pawar
Mumbai (PTI): Former Union minister Sharad Pawar on Monday said that he and nephew Ajit Pawar are together as a family, but made it clear that the latter was heading a different political party.
“Gharat tari ekatrach ahet (we are together at home least),” the veteran politician said at a press conference at Chiplun in coastal Konkan region.
He was responding to a query about the demand from “various quarters in the state” that the uncle-nephew duo should come together once again.
In July last year, Ajit Pawar broke away from his uncle to join the Eknath Shinde-led government in the state as deputy chief minister. Of late, there has been speculation over his continuation in the ruling alliance.
Asked about Ajit Pawar’s recent remarks the decision to make his wife Sunetra Pawar contest the Lok Sabha polls against Supriya Sule in Baramati was a mistake, the veteran politician said, “He is in a different party. Why should we comment on decisions taken by another party?”
Asked if the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance of NCP (SP), Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) had decided its chef ministerial face, Pawar said, “I don’t think that it is an urgent issue at the moment”.
When elections were held after the Emergency, Morarji Desai’s name as PM candidate was not disclosed before polling, he added.
“Our (MVA) attempt is to give a progressive alternative in Maharashtra with help of other parties like Samajwadi Party and Peasants and Workers Party,” he said.
“Our observation is that the people of Maharashtra have made up their mind to give us (MVA) a chance in the ensuing elections,” he said.
Asked about Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu’s claim that sub-standard ghee with 'animal fat' was used to make prasad laddoos at Tirupati temple during Jaganmohan Reddy's tenure as CM, Pawar said, “If anything was mixed, it is very wrong and action should be taken against those involved”.
