Congress Used Muslims as Vote Bank: Eknath Shinde

Uddhav Thackeray, the head of the Shiv Sena (UBT), stated on Tuesday that democracy and authoritarianism are at odds in the Lok Sabha elections.

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday said Congress used Muslims as a vote bank, but the Narendra Modi government has worked for all sections of society. Shinde was campaigning at Pathri for Mahadev Jankar, Rashtriya Samaj Party president and candidate of the ruling Mahayuti alliance from Parbhani Lok Sabha constituency in the state.

His government raised the funds allocated for the Maulana Azad Minorities Financial Development Corporation from Rs 30 crore to Rs 500 crore, Shinde said, adding that the Modi government implemented numerous schemes to bring the people of all religions into the mainstream.

"Congress used the Muslim community as a vote bank, but the Modi government uplifted 25 crore people," he added. Congress coined the slogan "Garibi Hatao (remove poverty), but instead the poor got removed, Shinde said. The Modi government also provided free ration to 80 crore people, he noted.

"The state government is doing justice to all communities. Earlier, during (Shiv Sena founder) Bal Thackeray's time, we had Sabir Shaikh as a state minister. We have Abdul Sattar (in the cabinet) now," Shinde said. The Congress' claim that the Modi government will change the Constitution was only an "election jumla" (rhetoric), he said.