Mumbai, Jul 22 (IANS); Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s strong attack on Nationalist Congress Party (SP) President Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray evoked sharp reactions from the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) as well as the ruling ally Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

At a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) meeting in Pune on Sunday, the Home Minister unleashed a verbal assault on Pawar Sr. and Thackeray that left political circles shocked and mystified.

Kicking off the BJP’s campaign for the October 2024 Assembly elections, Amit Shah termed Sharad Pawar as ‘the biggest fountainhead of corruption’ and Thackeray as ‘the chief of Aurangzeb Fan Club’.

Hitting back, NCP (SP) Working President Supriya Sule said that the statements were ‘laughable’ as it is the same BJP regime which had honoured Sharad Pawar with the Padma Vibhushan (2017).

“For the BJP, without taking the names of Sharad Pawar or Uddhav Thackeray, their speeches don’t make headlines… They don’t see that the government had honoured him with the Padma Vibhushan,” said Sule, taking a swipe.

Sule pointed out how the Home Minister was seen with another leader Ashok Chavan, whom the BJP used to label as corrupt, “but now 90 per cent of the people in the BJP are there because of its washing machine.”

SS (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said that Amit Shah and the BJP have lost the right to call others corrupt when it has admitted the tainted leaders of all other parties, misusing the central investigation agencies.

“Amit Shah is the perfect example of what a Home Minister should not be and we feel ashamed that he is holding the post. The BJP has not yet digested its defeat in the Lok Sabha elections and they make such wild statements against others,” said Raut sharply.

NCP (SP) National Spokesperson Clyde Crasto said while Amit Shah accused the Opposition of allegedly institutionalising corruption, “it's actually the BJP which legitimised corruption in the country.”

“The truth is BJP has legitimised corruption. They accuse political leaders of graft but once they join the BJP, they all get a clean chit… This is how they are condoning corruption,” said Crasto.

SS (UBT) Deputy Leader Sushma Andhare said Shah’s comments reveal clearly, “That for BJP, the biggest challenge in Maharashtra is Uddhav Thackeray.”

“However, we don’t give credence to someone who has a stamp of disgrace (externed) on his persona. They cannot make their speeches heard without uttering Thackeray-Pawar,” said Andhare sarcastically.

On the other side, the ruling MahaYuti ally NCP appeared to be in turmoil with different notes emanating from Shah's comments.

On Sunday, Ajit Pawar said that, “Pawar Saheb is like a God to me”, but when categorically asked for his views, he retorted with ‘no comments, no comments’ to the media persons.

While NCP Minister Dhananjay Munde supported Amit Shah saying, “he will not speak without some truth in it,” his party’s Pimpri (in Maval Lok Sabha) MLA Anna D. Bansode said that the “comments were not proper coming from a person like Shah.”

“Sharad Pawar is like our Guru and he is one of the tallest leaders in the country, people have the highest regard for him and such criticism must stop,” urged Bansode.

Another ruling NCP ex-MLA Vilas V. Lande has shot off a letter to the BJP slamming the comments and pointed out that in his entire life, Sharad Pawar has never faced a single blot of corruption.

Ruling MahaYuti ally and Prahar Janshakti Party chief Omprakash B. Kadu, alias Bachchu Kadu mocked the government saying, “If this is what Amit Shah speaks of Sharad Pawar, then people will want to know what is Ajit Pawar.”

Taking umbrage, Raut said that Home Minister Amit Shah called Thackeray as the “chief” of the Aurangzeb Fan Club, “But we were not part of the Jinnah club… We never went to visit Jinnah’s grave in Pakistan or go to celebrate Nawaz Sharif's birthday there.”

“There’s nothing wrong in taking the side of nationalist Muslims in the country… They have contributed a lot and many were sacrificed during the Independence movement. They (BJP) just want to create communal problems,” said Raut.