Nagpur, June 20 (PTI) Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Thursday accused opposition leaders Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray of being “assassins” of Maratha reservation.
Speaking to reporters here, he also said that the BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP government in the state has always protected the interests of Marathas and OBC communities.
Asked about NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s statement that the Union government should not be a mute spectator to the ongoing agitation of the Maratha community for reservations in jobs and education, Bawankule said the Centre had nothing to do with the issue.
“Sharad Pawar’s stand had always been against Maratha reservation,” he alleged.
“Sharad Pawar and (Shiv Sena (UBT) chief) Uddhav Thackeray are the assassins of Maratha reservation,” the BJP leader said.
He also accused Thackeray of discarding the Hindutva ideology, and said that was the reason many hardliners from the Muslim community voted for his party in the Lok Sabha elections.
The Sena (UBT) chief should introspect on the fact that he left Hindutva and was promoting Congress’ interests, he said.
People were tired of Thackeray’s speeches, Bawankule said, adding that he should tell the people what he did during his two-and-half years’ tenure as chief minister. PTI CLS KRK
