Maharashtra Assembly Election: Days ahead of the Maharashtra assembly election, the ruling Mahayuti is seemingly divided over Yogi Adityanath's '‘Batenge To Katenge (will be cut down if divided) slogan'. On Friday, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis lashed out at Ajit Pawar for criticising the slogan.
NCP chief Ajit Pawar has publicly spoken about the slogan. In an interview with ANI, Fadnavis said that it will take time for Ajit to understand the mood of the public, as he had stayed with the anti-Hindu ideologies for a long time.
"For decades, Ajit Pawar has stayed with such ideologies, which are secular and anti-Hindu. There is no real secularism amongst those who call themselves as secularists. He has stayed with people for whom opposing Hindutva is secularism. There is no real secularism among those who call themselves secular," Fadnavis told ANI.
"It will take some time for him to understand the mood of the public. These people either did not understand the sentiments of the public or did not understand the statement or they probably wanted to say something else," he added.
Fadnavis also backed the slogan of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and said that there was nothing wrong with the slogan given by Yogi Adityanath. "I don't see anything wrong in Yogi ji's slogans. Look at the history of this country. Jab Jab bate hai tab gulam bane hai. Whenever this country was divided into castes, states, divided into communities society we became slaves. The country was also divided, and so were the people. That's why if we divide, we will be cut. This is the history of this country," Fadnavis said in an interview with ANI.
Ajit Pawar Expresses Disagreement On 'Batenge Toh Katenge" Slogan
Ajit Pawar said that he does not endorse the slogan and backed PM Modi's 'Ek hai toh Safe hai" slogan. The slogan has been widely condemned by the opposition leaders, claiming communal overtones in it.
"I have expressed my disagreement on this (Batenge toh Katenge) in a public rally and media interviews. Some BJP leaders have also expressed the same. 'Sabka saath, Sabka vikas' means together with all, development for all...Now, 'Ek hain toh safe hain...I see it from this angle," Ajit Pawar said in an interview with ANI.
Ajit expressing displeasure over the slogan said that, "We immediately said that this is not Uttar Pradesh, it must be going on in the North, not in our Maharashtra."
Opposition Reacts To Slogan
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge has asked the BJP to choose between Yogi Adityanath's "divisive" slogan and PM Modi's call for unity.
"While Yogi says, 'Batenge toh katenge,' Modi introduces the conflicting slogan, 'Ek hain toh safe hain (If we're united, we're safe).' You decide between yourselves whose slogan should be followed-Yogiji's or Modi's?"
Earlier, NCP leader Supriya Sule said that party that broke parties has got itself divided.
"They are in two minds in the BJP. On one side Devabhau says one thing and on the other side ally Pankaja Munde says something else... We will have to ask Devabhau how did this become 50-50?" she said.
Akhilesh Yadav has also lashed out at the BJP over the Slogan and called it negative, saying that the leaders in the BJP do not support it. He also claimed top leaders of the saffron party in Uttar Pradesh are not accepting the slogan.
(With input from agencies)