Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray slammed the BJP over its poll promise of free COVID-19 vaccine in Bihar. Uddhav Thackeray added whether the BJP thinks people in other states are hail from Bangladesh or Kazakhstan. Thackeray was speaking at the Sena’’s annual Dussehra rally, held at the Savarkar hall in Dadar due to coronavirus norms instead of the usual venue, the sprawling Shivaji Park.
“You promise free COVID-19 vaccine in Bihar, then are people of other states from Bangladesh or Kazakhtan,” Thackeray said. “Those speaking like that should be ashamed of themselves. You are at the Centre,” the Maharashtra chief minister added.
In a veiled attack on actress Kangana Ranaut, Thackeray said some people come to Mumbai for bread and butter and abuse the city by calling it ‘Pakistan occupied Kashmir’ (PoK).
“Those crying for justice for Bihar’’s son are indulging in character assassination of Maharashtra’’s son,” Thackeray said, breaking his silence on allegations against his son Aaditya Thackeray in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case.
Thackeray said the time has come to reconsider the present GST system and if necessary, to modify it as states are not benefiting from this system. “We (Maharashtra) are yet to get our Rs 38,000 crore as GST refund,” he said. “If the system of GST has failed, then the Centre should honestly admit it and revert to the old system of taxation in India. From all this, it appears that the GST system is proving a hoax If it is not working, the Prime Minister should honestly admit it and bring back the old system of taxation,” Thackeray thundered.
Referring to similar problems faced by other states, Thackeray urged Chief Ministers of states to join and meet the prime minister to discuss and sort out the issue.
“On one hand you don’t give us our legitimate GST dues and on the other, you promise free vaccines to people Bihar. Where will the money come from? And what about the rest of India, why this discrimination? Is the rest of the country a Pakistan,” Thackeray said.
