Mumbai, Jun 10

The political atmosphere in Maharashtra has intensified following a sharp exchange between Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) President Sharad Pawar and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over recent remarks made by BJP leader Girish Mahajan during his Punjab visit.

Mahajan had triggered controversy by alleging that the Congress had committed atrocities against the Sikh community. Responding to these comments, Sharad Pawar had criticized Mahajan, alleging that such statements bring disrepute to the country.

Countering the criticism, Chief Minister Fadnavis launched a scathing attack on the Congress. "It is an undeniable truth that the massacre of Sikhs took place in Delhi and across India under the leadership of the Congress. We will continue to condemn these atrocities for the rest of our lives," Fadnavis asserted while speaking to reporters here.
Clarifying the context of Mahajan's visit, the Chief Minister stated that the BJP leader was invited by the Punjab government to acknowledge the Maharashtra government's efforts in organizing grand events for the 300th Martyrdom Day of the Ninth Sikh Guru.

"Girish Mahajan was only there to pay respects. He was present at the event for a very short duration and was completely unaware of the background photographs displayed at the venue. His speech focused solely on the contributions of the Sikh community and the Central government's efforts to integrate them into the mainstream. He also expressed concern over the rising drug menace in Punjab. His statements should not be viewed through a political lens," Fadnavis explained.

During the same interaction, Chief Minister Fadnavis lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for setting a new record by completing 4,399 days as the longest-serving elected Prime Minister of India.

"This is not just a duration of time; it is a golden era during which the blueprint of India's progress has been written," Fadnavis said.
Highlighting the achievements of the Modi-led government, the Chief Minister stated that 250 million people have been lifted out of poverty during this period. He further credited the Prime Minister for the massive expansion of infrastructure, including highways, railways, ports, and airports.

"India has climbed to become the world's fourth-largest economy. We have seen an 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' (Self-reliant India) taking shape. From being a major importer of arms, we are now exporting thousands of crores worth of defence equipment. Furthermore, India’s UPI digital payment gateway has been adopted by 30 countries across the globe," he added.

Fadnavis further noted that in the last 12 years, the Central government has provided immense support to Maharashtra, including funding for the completion of nearly 100 dams and the realization of long-pending projects like the Vadhavan Port, Navi Mumbai Airport, and extensive Metro networks.

000