Mumbai: Reacting to the Maharashtra government's recent decision of saying 'Vande Mataram' on phone calls instead of 'Hello', several opposition leaders have taken a flay at the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government. Taking to Twitter on Saturday, Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi raised questions about Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's loyalties to his state highlighting his sudden abandonment of the phrase 'Jai Maharashtra'.
"Every time I met Balasaheb Thackeray, I heard Jai Maharashtra from his mouth. Interestingly, Balasaheb Thackeray's soldier Eknath Shinde also used to say Jai Maharashtra. But now, under his rule, the Maharashtra government issued a GR to replace it with Vande Mataram. Makes me think if the government is now willingly speaking the language of BJP and RSS, or working under their pressure," Azmi said in a video posted on his official Twitter account. He further said that a true Muslim will never say "Vande Mataram" because, in Islam, no one can be worshiped except Allah.
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महोदय, श्री एकनाथ शिंदे जी आप जिनके शिव सैनिक है वो बालासाहब ठाकरे जब भी मिले थे उन्होंने जय महाराष्ट्र बोलकर अभिवादन किया था, लेकिन आज जय महाराष्ट्र के बजाए वंदे मातरम बोलने के GR से लगता है की आप भाजपा और RSS के दबाव में आगाए है जो सिर्फ लोगों को बांटना जानते है#JaiMaharashtra pic.twitter.com/LA2CIanPmp
— Abu Asim Azmi (@abuasimazmi) October 1, 2022 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">महोदय, श्री एकनाथ शिंदे जी आप जिनके शिव सैनिक है वो बालासाहब ठाकरे जब भी मिले थे उन्होंने जय महाराष्ट्र बोलकर अभिवादन किया था, लेकिन आज जय महाराष्ट्र के बजाए वंदे मातरम बोलने के GR से लगता है की आप भाजपा और RSS के दबाव में आगाए है जो सिर्फ लोगों को बांटना जानते है#JaiMaharashtra pic.twitter.com/LA2CIanPmp
— Abu Asim Azmi (@abuasimazmi) October 1, 2022महोदय, श्री एकनाथ शिंदे जी आप जिनके शिव सैनिक है वो बालासाहब ठाकरे जब भी मिले थे उन्होंने जय महाराष्ट्र बोलकर अभिवादन किया था, लेकिन आज जय महाराष्ट्र के बजाए वंदे मातरम बोलने के GR से लगता है की आप भाजपा और RSS के दबाव में आगाए है जो सिर्फ लोगों को बांटना जानते है#JaiMaharashtra pic.twitter.com/LA2CIanPmp
— Abu Asim Azmi (@abuasimazmi) October 1, 2022
NCP National Spokesperson Clyde Crasto, also taking a dig at the Shinde-Fadnavis government, said the government cannot force such a move. "People should be allowed to speak of their own free will. The government cannot adopt an authoritarian attitude. Saying Vande Mataram while answering phone calls of government employees is completely wrong," he said.
Also read: Maharashtra mandates 'Vande Mataram' instead of 'Hello' over calls
Meanwhile, Congress leader Charan Singh Sapra said that although he has no problem with 'Vander Mataram', his concerns are in line with what will happen to the erstwhile 'Jai Maharashtra' phrase. "We are not at all against Vande Mataram. But I want to ask the Shinde government what will happen to the order saying Jai Maharashtra. What is wrong with Jai Maharashtra anyway? Is Shinde Sena acting on the advice of RSS?" he said.
He further alleged that the move is just a conspiracy to divert people's attention from important issues. "Today, problems like inflation and unemployment are highly alarming. Is chanting Vande Mataram going to solve these problems? If so, I am ready to say Vande Mataram a thousand times. I think this is just a way of diverting public attention," he added.
