Maharashtra polls: Priyanka Gandhi challenges PM Modi on caste census, reservations; invokes Balasaheb Thackeray
Hindustan TimesCongress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of spreading misinformation about her brother Rahul Gandhi’s stance on reservation. She alleged that these leaders fear Rahul because he pushes for a caste census and his “advocacy for social justice.” She criticised the government for the stalled construction of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj memorial in the Arabian Sea, the removal of his statue outside Parliament. Priyanka also responded to PM Modi’s recent comments about her brother, stating, “PM Modi repeatedly takes my brother’s name and mentions Balasaheb Thackeray. Let me make it clear: though our ideologies differ, neither Balasaheb Thackeray nor Congress leaders, including Rahul, would ever tolerate the insult of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.” Earlier in his rallies in Maharashtra, Modi had challenged Rahul to publicly take the name of Balasaheb Thackeray.