Nagpur (Maharashtra) [India], June 17 (ANI): Congress leader Nana Patole launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, questioning the legitimacy of what has been termed ‘Operation Tiger’ in Maharashtra.
Speaking to ANI, Patole dismissed the operation as a power-hungry manoeuvre, comparing it to an “Operation Jackal (Gidad)”.
He criticised the central government–specifically mentioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah–alleging that they are acting beyond the limits of democratic decorum.
“This is not Operation Tiger; this is Operation Jackal. Hunger for power has its limits. But Narendra Modi and his alliance have gone beyond that hunger. The time for them to vomit has come. In politics, and especially in our constitutional system, people vote for a party. Here, they are taking control of elected people from other parties to show off their power and the intoxication of authority,” Patole said.
“…Speaker only does what Modi-Amit Shah tells them to. The autonomy of the Speaker has also been finished,” he added.
He claimed that the ruling alliance is actively working to dismantle the democratic framework
“Just as the British looted, these people are looting. We condemn the work of murdering the democratic system that Narendra Modi’s government and their alliance are doing,” he said.
His remarks come amid intense political speculation in Maharashtra over the future of Shiv Sena (UBT), with reports suggesting that a section of the party’s MPs may break away. However, the party has denied all the speculations.
Maharashtra is currently witnessing “Operation Tiger” buzz amid speculation that seven of the nine UBT MPs were in touch with Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and looking to join the faction. Back in 2022, Shinde, along with several MLAs, broke away from Uddhav Thackeray, splitting the party into two.
Further, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday took a swipe at the alleged attempts to engineer defections, claiming that the “Minimum Support Price” of an MP had been fixed at Rs 50 crore and that Rs 15 crore was “merely an advance amount”.
Responding to an X post by Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra, Raut wrote, “Apna Sapna Money Money! No, no Mahua ji, the Minimum Support Price is fixed at 50 crore per MP.(pcaas khoke) ₹15 crore is just the advance. Frankly, these people aren’t even worth ₹50,000. Their price has only gone up because of the Shiv Sena and TMC brand label.”
Earlier on Tuesday, replying to the Raut X post, Moitra made a sarcastic remark over the alleged monetary inducements offered to legislators and MPs. (ANI)
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