MUMBAI: Days after Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar held a protest named Chalo Delhi against the central government’s tax devolution policies and demanding the over Rs 1 lakh crore due to Karnataka from the Centre, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray too raised a similar plank. Uddhav said that Maharashtra must get its rightful funds. Uddhav said that when Maharashtra, including Mumbai, pays one rupee as tax to the centre, only 7 paise is returned to Maharashtra. Uddhav demanded that Maharashtra must get at least 50% of the money that it sends to the centre. Uddhav said that this would be the Sena (UBT) main demand and said that when the govt in the centre changes, he would take the lead to change the laws on fund distribution to the states. Uddhav also took a dig at the BJP quoting Union Minister Nitin Gadkari where Gadkari reportedly said he has no place left in the party and he wasn’t getting respect. Uddhav said that the BJP leadership was eliminating opponents, allies and their own party leaders. Uddhav was speaking at a meeting of the Sena’s (UBT) Sthaniya Lokadhikar Samiti.
“Recently some southern states held a protest against unfair distribution of funds in Delhi from Karnataka. They have said that the money we send to the centre, we don’t get anything back from it. Then where do you (centre) spend the rest of the money. Maharashtra’s hard-earned money accounts for a large portion of the Modi guarantee. What are you giving to Maharashtra? We must get at least 50% of the one rupee we give to the centre. You are peeling things from Maharashtra and then giving money to all these schemes and doling out freebies. Modi must bear in mind that all this is happening because of Maharashtra’s hard earned money. We want our rightful money. Hardly any central govt offices are in Mumbai now, there are no jobs left. They have taken away the Air India office too. I will take the lead when the central govt changes these laws,” Uddhav said.
“The brute attitude of eliminating the other after winning is now gaining momentum. It has to be crushed. Hitler ended in such a way that it is impossible for another Hitler to be born again in Germany. This attitude should be crushed. What attitude is this? You are eliminating your opponents, your allies, your party leaders. Nitin Gadkari has said that he has no place left in the party. He is not getting respect. After Nitin Gadkari went to Delhi, we hoped that his work would benefit the country immensely. But when someone like Gadkari says that there is no place left for him, then who is there to work for?” Uddhav said.
“Shiv Sena has never done revenge politics. Congress may have split Shiv Sena, Sharad Pawar may have split Shiv Sena, we may have split and taken some people from NCP, some people from Congress may have come to us. But when it came to power, none of these parties ever thought of eliminating the other party,” Uddhav said.
“We demanded that (MS) Swaminathan be made the President of the country. Now has been given Bharat Ratna. But then I demand to implement the report given by the Swaminathan committee,” Uddhav said.
“Recently some southern states held a protest against unfair distribution of funds in Delhi from Karnataka. They have said that the money we send to the centre, we don’t get anything back from it. Then where do you (centre) spend the rest of the money. Maharashtra’s hard-earned money accounts for a large portion of the Modi guarantee. What are you giving to Maharashtra? We must get at least 50% of the one rupee we give to the centre. You are peeling things from Maharashtra and then giving money to all these schemes and doling out freebies. Modi must bear in mind that all this is happening because of Maharashtra’s hard earned money. We want our rightful money. Hardly any central govt offices are in Mumbai now, there are no jobs left. They have taken away the Air India office too. I will take the lead when the central govt changes these laws,” Uddhav said.
“The brute attitude of eliminating the other after winning is now gaining momentum. It has to be crushed. Hitler ended in such a way that it is impossible for another Hitler to be born again in Germany. This attitude should be crushed. What attitude is this? You are eliminating your opponents, your allies, your party leaders. Nitin Gadkari has said that he has no place left in the party. He is not getting respect. After Nitin Gadkari went to Delhi, we hoped that his work would benefit the country immensely. But when someone like Gadkari says that there is no place left for him, then who is there to work for?” Uddhav said.
“Shiv Sena has never done revenge politics. Congress may have split Shiv Sena, Sharad Pawar may have split Shiv Sena, we may have split and taken some people from NCP, some people from Congress may have come to us. But when it came to power, none of these parties ever thought of eliminating the other party,” Uddhav said.
“We demanded that (MS) Swaminathan be made the President of the country. Now has been given Bharat Ratna. But then I demand to implement the report given by the Swaminathan committee,” Uddhav said.