Mumbai: Ahead of the meeting convened by the Union Home Ministry on September 26 with the Naxal-affected states, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and NCP President Sharad Pawar on Friday met and discussed a couple of issues including additional funds and gadgets to be sought from the Centre to tackle the left-wing extremists and also to expedite development works there.
NCP and Sena sources recalled that Pawar had met Thackeray when the latter had led the delegation to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June. Thackeray had also independently met Modi saying ‘’Not like I met Nawaz Sharif.’’
Sources in the know said Pawar and Thackeray also discussed the ongoing probes by the Central investigation agencies against the Maha Vikas Aghadi ministers and leaders in the wake of charges levelled by the BJP and other agencies. Pawar has already criticized the manner in which these agencies were deployed saying that people will not take them seriously in due course of time.
On the other hand, Shiv Sena has slammed BJP for roping in Central probe agencies against opponents saying that it was being done as the party could not succeed in its plan to topple the MVA government in the state.
Thackeray has reiterated that the MVA government cannot be intimidated by the Enforcement Directorate and Central Bureau of Investigation.
Thackeray, against the sidelines of the meeting called by the Union Home Ministry, is expected to hold one on one interaction with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. This will be important especially after Shiv Sena and BJP parted ways over the equal sharing of power and the Chief Minister’s post after the state assembly election held in 2019. Thackeray subsequently joined hands with NCP and Congress to form the government in November 2019.
