Nagpur, Dec 18: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday took a dig at Shiv Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray over his meeting with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, saying it was like “meet this one, meet that one and go home next day.”

He thereby downplayed the meeting between Thackeray and Fadnavis.

“Anyone can meet the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister is the head of the state. The opposition party also meets him. The leaders of other parties of the opposition party also meet him. I see a radical change in those who criticised him severely, talked about ending him, and talked about putting him in jail. It is not wrong to meet Devendra Fadnavis,” said Shinde.

On the other hand, Shiv Sena legislator and former minister Deepak Kesarkar said “If Uddhav Thackeray had held such a meeting earlier (with Devendra Fadnavis), Shiv Sena would not have been divided into two.”

“Earlier, Uddhav Thackeray had not even responded to Devendra Fadnavis’ telephonic calls. Uddhav Thackeray abandoned Balasaheb Thackeray’s idea of Hindutva for the post of Chief Minister. Eknath Shinde had no other demand. Eknath Shinde’s only demand was that we should go with the idea of Hindutva. We should not go with the Congress. But if Uddhav Thackeray had met Devendra Fadnavis then, all this would not have happened. Devendra Fadnavis called Uddhav Thackeray many times in 2019. But now it is too late. Now the MahaYuti government has come back to power again,” said Kesarkar.

Meanwhile, Shinde slammed the opposition for their campaign against EVMs, saying that “When the poll results go against them, allegations are made against EVMs.”

“When the results are in favour of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, then EVMs are good. For them, the Election Commission is good. The Supreme Court and the High Court are also good. When the results are against them, then they start blaming EVMs. The opposition has been doing this for the last few days. In 2004 and 2009, voting was done on EVMs and the Congress won. When you win, you praise that system,” he added.

“Even the Supreme Court said that when you win, you don’t come to us and when you lose, you come to us. This is a double standard. After winning the Lok Sabha elections, you (the opposition) didn’t talk about EVMs. Omar Abdullah has also slammed the Congress,” said Eknath Shinde.

He said that Congress should not insult the mandate otherwise the people will make them sit at home. Shinde also ridiculed Uddhav Thackeray for his demand that the appointment of Election Commissioner be made through election.

Chandigarh, Dec 18: Railway commuters faced inconvenience in Punjab on Wednesday after farmers squatted on rail tracks in support of their long-pending demands, including the legal guarantee of the minimum support price (MSP) for crops.

However, no untoward incident was reported in the state. The protest, at the call of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, was carried out at over 100 locations in the state, badly impacting the railway services.

Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Sarwan Singh Pandher claimed that the three-hour “rail roko” call got a good response in the state.

The impact of the protest was more viable in Moga, Faridkot, Ferozepur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Batala, Qadian, Phillaur, Tanda, Dasuya, Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana and Sunam towns.

Farmers of both outfits have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.

While hearing a petition, the Supreme Court on Wednesday said the court’s doors were “always open” to the demands and suggestions of protesting farmers, after they refused to engage with the Punjab government-formed committee.

The Punjab government told the apex court that despite several meetings with fasting farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, the farmers had rejected interactions with the state’s high-powered committee.

Protesting farmers, whose bid to enter Haryana in support of their long-pending demands was foiled thrice, halted the trains to lodge their protest and press their demands.

The 70-year-old cancer patient Dallewal has been fasting at Khanauri, the border point between Punjab and Haryana, since November 26 in support of their demands that included loan waiver and reforms to improve conditions in the agricultural sector.

Bengaluru, Dec 18: Taking objection to the statements made by the Union Home Minister in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Karnataka Chief Minister on Wednesday stated that had B.R. Ambedkar not been born he (Siddaramaiah) might have been herding cattle in his village and Amit Shah would have been running a scrap business in his hometown.

In his open letter addressed to HM Amit Shah, CM Siddaramaiah stated, “Had Dr. Ambedkar not been born, I wouldn’t have had the privilege of becoming the Chief Minister today. I might have been herding cattle in my village.

“Our senior leader, Mallikarjun Kharge Ji, wouldn’t have risen to lead the AICC and he might have been working in a factory in Kalaburagi. We owe every step of our progress and dignity to Babasaheb and the Constitution he gave us.”

“Not just me, without Dr Ambedkar’s contributions, you (Amit Shah) too wouldn’t be the Home Minister today. Instead, you might have been running a scrap business in your hometown.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi, your colleague, might still be selling tea at a railway station. Babasaheb’s vision is what elevated us all. Even the Prime Minister might admit this, and so should you,” he underlined.

“First, let me congratulate you for finally speaking the truth by openly revealing the BJP’s real opinion about Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar.

“Your statement in Parliament (18-12-2024) didn’t surprise us; we already knew your party’s true mindset. But now, the entire country has seen your lack of respect for the architect of the Indian Constitution.

“Standing in the very Parliament that runs under his Constitution and calling his memory a ‘habit’ shows your arrogance. Congratulations, Mr. Shah, for this shameless act,” the CM stated.

“Do not attempt to mislead the nation by saying, ‘I have immense respect for Babasaheb, and my words were twisted.’ We are not gullible. Own up to your words and face the nation,” he charged.

“For us, Ambedkar is not a ‘fashion’ but an eternal inspiration. As long as we breathe, as long as the Sun and Moon shine on this Earth, Ambedkar’s legacy will endure.

“The more you try to diminish his memory, the stronger it will rise to guide us forward. While your sycophants might have clapped at your arrogance, remember this: Millions across this country, who have gained equality and dignity because of Babasaheb, are condemning you,” he maintained.

“Your hatred for Ambedkar is not new to those who know history. Why did your ideological parent, the RSS, reject the Constitution written by Babasaheb during his lifetime? Historical records document the statements of RSS leaders like Hedgewar, Golwalkar, and Savarkar against the Constitution.

“You may try to suppress these truths, but they cannot be erased. Your remarks in Parliament are just an extension of that long-standing RSS ideology,” CM Siddaramaiah alleged in his letter.