Latur, Nov 6 (PTI) Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Wednesday criticised NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar, accusing him of neglecting other parts of the state and focusing only on the development of Baramati despite serving as a chief minister multiple times.
Addressing a rally at Renapur in Latur district to campaign for MNS candidate Santosh Nagargoje (Latur Rural assembly constituency), he said Pawar set up industries only in Baramati taluka in Pune district, from where he hails, instead of thinking of doing so in the state’s Marathwada or Vidarbha regions.
Crimes against women were going up, farmers were committing suicide and youths were shifting to other cities in search of jobs, but in order to divert people’s attention from these key issues, caste and quota related issues were being highlighted by the parties, he alleged.
“Despite being in politics for over 40 years and bringing many industries to Baramati, Sharad Pawar never truly considered the broader interests of Maharashtra,” Thackeray said.
“As a chief minister, Pawar was expected to have a vision for the entire state. He held the chief minister’s position three times and even served as Union agriculture minister. Look at Baramati – how many industries have flourished there. Couldn’t some of these be established in Marathwada and Vidarbha?” he asked.
A man given so many opportunities only thought of his own constituency, the MNS chief said.
“How can he (Pawar) be called a leader of Maharashtra? He is a leader of one taluka,” he added.
The people of Marathwada were followers of the Hindutva ideology. But NCP came into existence in 1999 and Sharad Pawar started caste politics, Thackeray alleged.
“No one is taking steps to stop the farmers’ suicides. Youth is not turning towards farming and agriculture, universities are sitting idle. Crime against women has gone up. Maharashtra was never like this,” he said, adding that in order to divert people’s attention from key issues, caste and quota issues are kept on the boil.
Thackeray also hit out at leaders from Latur, including Shivraj Patil Chakurkar, who held various positions including a Union minister, saying they also neglected the development needs of the district.
The youth from Marathwada are shifting towards Pune and Mumbai (for jobs), which is shameful, he said.
On the Maratha quota issue, he said, “Around the year 2000, a rally was taken out for the reservation demand. At that time, Shiv Sena, NCP, BJP and Congress leaders met the agitators and promised quota to them. Then who stopped them from giving it despite being in power?” Recently also, protest rallies were taken out. But nothing happened. So the question remains how this reservation can be given. The truth is it can’t be given because laws have to be changed for it, he said.
Now, people should ask those who say they will give reservation, how can it be given “Recently, I met some Maratha community youths demanding reservation for their community. I told them – there are no jobs left with the state and the central government, so how will they give reservation to you,” he said.
“Instead of living in unity, we are harbouring hatred towards people from other communities. Issues here are jobs and education which everyone must get…If people hand over the state’s reins to me, not a single youth in the state will remain jobless,” he added.
Talking about his party’s manifesto, he said he will write only those things which he can give.
“But providing 100 per cent jobs will be mentioned in it. I don’t need reservation for that. Marathi people will get jobs in the industries here and only if there are any vacancies, we will accommodate people from other states,” he said. PTI COR AW NP
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