Alleging that the Narendra Modi Government was planning to present the Union Budget in February with a clear eye on the Assembly polls in five States, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray demanded that the presentation of the Budget be deferred to a later date.
Joining the Opposition parties’ clamour for postponement of the Union Budget which Finance Minister Arun Jaitley plans to present on February 1, Uddhav said that a delegation of his party MPs would meet President Pranab Mukherjee and seek deferment of the budget till the completion of Assembly polls in five States–Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Manipur, Punjab and Uttarakhand.
Addressing his party office bearers’ meeting held at Ranga Sharada auditorium at Bandra in north-west Mumbai, Uddhav. “With a clear eye on the Assembly polls in five States, the Modi Government has advanced the presentation of budget to February. Through its advanced budget, the ruling BJP wants to mislead and hoodwink the voters in the poll-bound States. Hence, we will request the President to restrain the Government from presenting the budget in February”.
Castigating the Modi Government for making empty promises to the demonetisation-hit people, the Sena president said: “What Modi has done is to show a “mrugjal” (mirage) to people. (In his December 31 speech to the nation, Modi has not spoken anything new. He has only reiterated the announcements made in the past. All he has done is to the say the samething in a new way. But, he has not said as to when the people can expect Achhe din in the country”.
In his vehement criticism of the Centre’s demonetisation decision, Uddhav said, “For the first time after Independence, the people in the country are living in a terrorised atmosphere because of demonetisation. How long one can hold onto powerIJ But, if you conduct yourself well with people, you will enjoy their support for a long time to come. Curreently people are just living... That’s achhe din!!. The Government is trying to create a false impression that it enjoys the support of people after demonetisation”.
Demanding to know as to why the Modi Government refused to lift the ban on the district cooperative banks to accept the demonetised notes, Uddhav said, “While major banks have indulged in irregularities, district co-operative banks were made to suffer. Was the Government sleeping when Vijay Mallya and lalit Modi fled the countryIJ Farmers are in a state of distress and they have no money to eke a living and also invest on agriculture. The Government has done nothing to help them out”.
Uddhav also demanded the youngsters who have been rendered jobless in the wake of demonetisation, be given employment.
The Sena president said that his party was not desperate to have an alliance with the ruling BJP for the forthcoming elections Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and other municipal corporations in the State.
“We will not enter into an alliance with the BJP in desperation. The Sena leaders will take decisions at local level on aligning with the BJP or otherwise. Our party’s stand is that if we do, we will align only with the BJP and not with any other party,” Uddhav said.
Uddhav’s comments are a clear indication of the fact that the Sena would go it alone in the crucial February 2017 polls to the BMC and other municipal corporations across the State.