"Bala Saheb Thackeray said he'll end Shiv Sena if it becomes Congress": PM Modi

Dindori (Maharashtra) [India], May 15 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday came down heavily over the purported remarks of NCP leader Sharad Pawar over the suggestions of merging regional parties with Congress to gain the status of valid opposition, saying that Bala Saheb Thackeray used to say that the day Shiv Sena becomes Congress, he will end Shiv Sena.
Calling Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena "nakli," PM Modi said, "Congress is losing so badly that it is difficult for them even to become a valid opposition. A leader of the INDI alliance in Maharashtra suggested that all the small parties in Maharashtra should merge with Congress after the elections. This fake Shiv Sena and fake Nationalist Party will certainly merge with Congress."
"When this fake Shiv Sena merges with Congress, I will remember Bala Saheb Thackeray the most, because Bala Saheb also used to say that the day he felt that Shiv Sena has become Congress, that day he will end Shiv Sena, meaning that now there will be no trace of fake Shiv Sena," he added while addressing a public rally in Dindori.
With his remarks leading to a lot of speculation, Sharad Pawar, who is chief of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), said he did not speak about his party's merger with the Congress but how the two parties have worked together.
Hitting out at the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) for rejecting the invitation to the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, PM Modi said, "The fake Shiv Sena has shattered every dream of Balasaheb Thackeray. His dream was to build a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya. Congress rejected the invitation of Pran Pratishtha, and fake Shiv Sena also chose the same path. Congress people are talking nonsense about the temple and the fake Shiv Sena is completely silent."
"Their sinful partnership has been exposed in front of the entire world. In the four phases of elections that have taken place, the public has defeated them from all sides," he added.
Coming down heavily on Congress over their stance on reservations in the country stating that they are doing it only for vote bank politics, PM Modi said that he will not let the distribution of budget and reservations based on religion.
"Babasaheb Ambedkar was against granting reservations based on religion. But now, Congress wants to take the reservations of SC, ST and OBC communities and give them to their vote bank. Let this be very clear to INDI Alliance, I will not let you bifurcate the budget or provide reservations based on religion," he said.
"Congress thinks that 15 per cent of the total budget prepared by the governments of the country should be spent only on minorities, that is, the budget should also be divided on the basis of religion. They divided the country based on religion and even today they are engaged in making different types of divisions based on religion," the Prime Minister added.
He further said that the BJP-led central government never looked at anyone's religion before making any plans or giving schemes.
"Today Modi is giving concrete houses to the poor, electricity connection, water to every home, gas connection under Ujjwala scheme. We have never looked at anyone's religion. Made plans for everyone and gave benefits of the schemes to everyone," PM Modi said.
Urging the people to vote for the BJP in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, PM Modi said, "Modi is the guardian of the rights of the deprived section. In the upcoming election, you must choose a Prime Minister who can decisively make big decisions."