States » WestPosted at: Oct 20 2026 10:14PM


Shinde mounts fierce attack on Oppn at Dussehra rally

Mumbai, Oct 20 (UNI) Launching a scathing attack on the Opposition, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde on Tuesday declared that his party has shelved its Dussehra festivities to stand firmly with drought-hit farmers, asserting that they are grassroots workers who fill stomachs rather than peddle hollow rhetoric.
Addressing the party's grand Dussehra rally at NESCO Exhibition Center in Goregaon, Shinde announced the launch of the 'Bhagwa Gheun Khandyavar, Shivsainik Disel Bandhavar' (Saffron on the shoulder, Shivsainik in the fields) campaign.
With large parts of Maharashtra reeling under severe drought conditions, he emphasized that the Shiv Sena would not allow farmers' Diwali to be overshadowed by despair, rolling out a comprehensive relief package.
Shinde announced immediate financial aid of Rs 5,000 to drought-hit farmers alongside 12 relief measures encompassing electricity bill waivers, debt recovery halts, and fodder-water provisions. Furthermore, the party has undertaken the distribution of 25,000 sewing machines for farmers' female family members, 25,000 bicycles for schoolgirls, and has taken full responsibility for organizing community weddings for daughters of distressed farmers.
Lambasting opposition leaders for staging protests in Mumbai while crops wither, Shinde accused them of dancing on farmers' distress. Rejecting allegations of 'vote theft' and EVM tampering, he retorted that the real "heist on democracy and mandate" occurred in 2019, when the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was formed by betraying the pre-poll BJP-Shiv Sena alliance.
Taking direct aim at LoP Rahul Gandhi and the Opposition for marching towards the Supreme Court, Shinde termed it a direct insult to India's apex judiciary and an "open assault on the Constitution."
Comparing India's democratic resilience to neighboring upheavals, he warned that attempts to stoke domestic anarchy would be crushed by the nation's 1.4 billion citizens, proudly stating, "This is New India; this is Hindustan."
Dismissing opposition and Sanjay Raut's 'regime change' slogans, Shinde mocked leaders who failed to protect their own party leadership from imploding while plotting to overthrow national governments. He likened the opposition's 'INDIA' bloc to a ten-headed Ravana rejected consecutively by the public.
Highlighting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's governance, Shinde noted that Maharashtra has received unprecedented central funding—soaring to Rs 12 lakh crore under NDA compared to Rs 2 lakh crore during the UPA decade. Reaffirming the party's ideological bedrock, he underscored that historical milestones like the abrogation of Article 370 and the Ram Mandir consecration fulfilled Balasaheb Thackeray's eternal dreams.
Snapping back at critics targeting his international visits, Shinde remarked sardonically, "Whether I speak in Marathi, English, visit a village, Delhi, or London—it gives the opposition instant acidity." He maintained that showcasing Maharashtra's economic vision on global platforms like Davos remains essential for job creation and industrial investment.
The rally saw a massive gathering of top-tier leaders, including senior figures Ramdas Kadam, Gajanan Kirtikar, Anandrao Adsul, MP Dr. Shrikant Shinde, alongside cabinet ministers, MLAs, and key party functionaries.
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