Updated March 3rd, 2020 at 22:12 IST

Fadnavis dares Maha CM to have courage and state Muslim reservation is 'unconstitutional'

Fadnavis challenged Uddhav Thackeray to 'have the courage' to come out and say that government will not provide 5% reservation to Muslims if he doesn't want it

Reported by: Jitesh Vachhatani
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After BJP walked out of the Maharashtra State Assembly on Tuesday, former Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis launched a scathing attack on Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray. Fadnavis reminded Thackeray of his promises to the farmers earlier and also accused the MVA alliance of having double standards as he stated that CM Thackeray says something else to the media while his Council of Ministers has a different opinion in the Assembly. The former CM also challenged Thackeray to 'have the courage' to come out and say that the government will not provide 5% reservation to Muslims if he doesn't want it. 

'That is why we walked out'

Speaking to media on Tuesday, Devendra Fadnavis said, "We had demanded today that when it rained untimely earlier in 2019, then Uddhav Thackeray had visited the farmers and promised them relief of Rs 25,000 and 50,000. So I asked him he remembers the promises to form a government but why can he not remember the promises given to farmers? Not only this but the debt relief that was promised to the farmers has also turned out to be false. Today, we put these points forth in the Assembly and the Government could not give any answer and that is why we walked out of the Assembly. We proposed a discussion on the increase in crimes against women in Maharashtra but no minister could give answers and that is also why we walked out."

READ | Fadnavis Takes On Uddhav Govt In Assembly; Demands Action Against 'anti-national Forces'

'Have the courage to come forth'

Furthermore, he added, "Referring to the Muslim reservations, Uddhav Thackeray has said that nothing has reached him, so I want to ask him if he has not agreed to the reservation then why doesn't he speak against it when a Minister from his party proposes the bill in the Assembly. I want to tell him that if he doesn't want to propose the reservation then have the courage to come forth and say that reservation on the basis of religion is unconstitutional and we won't provide it. He says different things in the media and his Ministers say a different thing in the house."

READ | BJP Leader Devendra Fadnavis Confident Of BJP's Return To Power In Maharashtra

'Such incidents will not be tolerated'

Earlier on Monday, Fadnavis had raised issues of 'Free Kashmir' posters, Sharjeel Imam and the provocative speech by AIMIM leader Waris Pathan in the state Assembly. Fadnavis said that such incidents will not be tolerated and demanded that action should be taken against such people and the ones who support them. 

The BJP leader also slammed the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government in the state and said, "For the sake of votes, if you (MVA) ignore this then the people of the state will not forgive you." Fadnavis also targeted the MVA government over farmers' issues, climate change, women's safety and the law and order situation.

READ | Devendra Fadnavis Slams Aghadi Govt Over Muslim Quota, Calls It 'unconstitutional'

READ | Uddhav Govt To Dump Cow Protection Scheme Initiated By Fadnavis' BJP-Sena Regime: Sources

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Published March 3rd, 2020 at 22:12 IST