How Opposition Parties React To NCP Split?

Opposition parties on Sunday came down heavily on the BJP after NCP leader Ajit Pawar and eight others were inducted into the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government.

The parties attacked the BJP saying that the saffron party can no longer target opposition parties on corruption charges as some of the leaders who joined the NDA are being probed on various cases by central agencies.

What Opposition Parties Said?

NCP Chief Sharad Pawar said he was not worried about what happened and will work to strengthen the party again.

"This is not 'googly', it is a robbery. It is not a small thing," he said. "Some of my colleagues have taken a different stand. I had called a meeting of all the leaders on July 6, where some important issue was to be discussed and some changes were to be made within the party but before that meeting, some of the leaders have taken a different stand."

The NCP supremo claimed that in the next two-three days, they will sit with Congress and Uddhav Thackeray to access the situation. "Our main strength is the common people, they have elected us". Apparently referring to Ajit Pawar who faced accusations related to the alleged irrigation scam, Pawar took a dig at BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying, "it is clear that all the charges have been cleared".

"Two days ago the PM had said about NCP... He had said two things in his statement that NCP is a finished party. He mentioned irrigation complaint and allegations of corruption. I am happy that some of my colleagues have taken oath. From this (joining the NDA government) it is clear that all the charges have been cleared. I am thankful to him," Pawar said. Sharad Pawar said he had dealt with splits earlier and rejuvenated the party. "This is not a new thing. The party I was leading in 1980 had 58 MLAs, later all left and only 6 MLAs left, but I strengthened the numbers and those who left me lost in their constituencies," he added.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said: Clearly the BJP's washing machine has resumed its operations. A number of new entrants into the BJP-led alliance in Maharashtra today had been facing serious corruption charges with ED, CBI and Income Tax authorities after them. Now they have all got a clean chit." The Congress will intensify its efforts to free Maharashtra from the clutches of the BJP, Ramesh added.

After inducting "corrupt men" as ministers, the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi cannot talk about fighting corruption, senior TMC leader Babul Supriyo, who was earlier a minister in the Modi government and had switched from the BJP, said.

"After the opposition parties' meeting in Patna, they (BJP) are afraid, and that's why they want to break opposition parties," said DMK leader TKS Elangovan.

Congress leader Rashid Alvi said, "The BJP and PM Modi have violated the Constitution. It (Ajit Pawar joining the Maharashtra government) is the biggest joke on democracy. Rajiv Gandhi brought anti-defection law while Atal Bihari Vajpayee increased the number of MLAs (to change the party) to 2/3rd, so this is an insult to Vajpayee as well."

Calling the BJP "hypocrite", Supriyo, a minister in the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal, said tainted leaders under the scanner of ED for corruption have been put into a "washing machine" manufactured by the BJP to remove their stains and blemishes.

Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha leader Priyanka Chaturvedi tweeted, "Principles be damned, BJP should be the last party in the country talking about ideological alliances. They are just political opportunists wanting power at any cost. With the latest development in Maharashtra, those MLAs who were corrupt and were jailed are now being sworn in as ministers!"

Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav claimed that Maharashtra has emerged as a "bigger laboratory" for the BJP after Madhya Pradesh and the saffron party will do other "experiments" in the run-up to 2024 general elections to stay in power "BJP does this from time to time, first they did this in Madhya Pradesh, and then in Maharashtra, but people are watching this," Yadav told reporters in Lucknow.

In a swipe, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal tweeted, "I guess this is the mother of democracy that Modiji was talking about in his address to the US Congress!" "BJP doesn't believe in people's power, they only believe in politics of defections (jod-tod ki rajniti) and this time they will get a big shock," JD (U) president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh said.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi by calling him the "biggest patron of corruption". Reacting to the development, AAP national spokesperson Sanjay Singh hit out at the prime minister on Twitter. "Narendra Modi is the biggest patron of corruption in the country," the Rajya Sabha MP said in a tweet in Hindi.

AAP leader Atishi said that BJP has declared openly now that all the corrupt should come to its fold and get "cleaned off their sins in its washing machine".

RJD leader Mritunjay Tiwari also said the BJP has engineered the defection to save its government in Maharashtra. PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said no words are enough to condemn the manner in which the BJP has repeatedly undermined the popular mandate in Maharashtra.

"Not only is democracy being butchered but they are using the national anthem to provide cover for such disgraceful actions. On one hand, BJP is arresting political opponents on trumped-up corruption charges while they themselves are on an MLA purchasing spree. Hard-earned public money is being misused to quench BJP's thirst for power," she alleged.

Congress General Secretary said that BJP's dirty tricks department is working on overdrive in Maharashtra. "This is not a legitimately elected government, but an ED-facilitated power grab. The Maharashtra government is a product of corruption and sin. The people have very well identified the traitors, corrupt and compromised leaders of Maharashtra and each of them will be taught the lessons of their lifetime in the next elections. On June 29, PM Modi had spoken about corruption. It appears he switched on the washing machine and these leaders are now squeaky clean after this oath taking ceremony."

He further stated that Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi have spoken to NCP chief Sharad Pawar and extended their support to him.