Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, reacting to the joint Victory Rally organised by Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray on Sunday, said he was happy for the youth and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had acted sensitively, keeping the nation’s interests as the top priority. Speaking to reporters in Nagpur after the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Fadnavis said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi acted with sensitivity and took the necessary decisions in the interest of the nation. I believe the bill will also be discussed in Parliament on Monday. To ensure that the future of our youth remains secure, the government has decided to bring in one of the toughest laws against paper leaks and examination fraud.”
Government defends action
Referring to the repeated paper leak incidents across the country at various levels, Fadnavis said the Central government is preparing to introduce one of the toughest laws against examination fraud. “Such a stringent law has rarely been seen anywhere in the world,” he added. Commenting on the joint rally organised by the Thackeray cousins at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park in Dadar, Fadnavis said he had no objection to the event and, in fact, “I am happy that they found a reason to celebrate, and we are happy as well. Ultimately, these issues do not belong to any individual or any political party,” he said. Launching a scathing attack on Uddhav Thackeray’s remarks that the protesters’ anger would now shift from Pradhan to Prime Minister Modi, Fadnavis said, “Such dialogues have been repeated many times over the past ten years, but they no longer have any impact on the people. The entire country stands with Prime Minister Modi.” Speaking about Modi’s prominence at both the national and international levels, Fadnavis said that even a single video posted by the Prime Minister on Instagram breaks global engagement records overnight, “which itself reflects who has the support of India.”
Thousands join Victory Rally
Meanwhile, the joint rally led by the Thackeray cousins in Mumbai attracted thousands of supporters. Visuals shared on the internet show people from across the city assembled at Dadar’s Shivaji Park, with many carrying the Tricolour. The rally, which began at Shivaji Park, will culminate at the Siddhivinayak Temple, with the national anthem.
