As he once again criticised the Congress party for its alleged appeasement of Muslims, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech was interrupted by few attendees allegedly raising slogans. One of the attendees even raised a slogan asking PM to speak on onion issue.
The video of the speech went viral wherein few attendees were seen raising slogans at the rally. However, the exact slogans are not clearly audible on the video. The protesters were taken out of the venue by cops.
The video was posted by several opposition members on X.
Addressing an election rally at Pimpalgaon Baswant in north Maharashtra's Nashik district in support of Mahayuti candidates -- Union minister Bharati Pawar (BJP) and Hemant Godse (Shiv Sena) -- the PM said splitting budget on religious lines was a dangerous idea.
"We give benefit of welfare schemes to everyone. But the Congress wants division and distribution of budgets based on religion. They divided the country on the basis of religion and are doing it even today," stated the BJP's star campaigner.
13 Lok Sabha seats of Maharashtra, including Nashik, will go to the polls on May 20 in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections.
It should be noted that there is rising unrest in the onion-growing belts of north-western Maharashtra over the export policy of Centre.
Several held before the rally
Even before this meeting, Lasalgaon police detained ten to twelve people, including members of the farmers' association, who were protesting against the export ban while wearing onion garlands around their necks. The police have brought all of them to the Lasalgaon police station.
Former chairman of the Lasalgaon market committee, Jayadat Holkar, Dr Sujit Gunjal, Shiva Sureshe, Dr Vikas Chander, Vikas Raite, Mahesh Holkar, Santosh Pangavane, Gokul Patil, Pramod Patil, Bharat Holkar, Rahul Shekheb, Mayur Bora, and ten others were arrested by Lasalgaon Police Station Assistant Police Inspector Bhaskarrao Shinde and Police Sub-Inspector Appasaheb Khandal. Police officer Sujit Bargal took them into custody and brought them to the police station.
The protestors were held at the police station until Prime Minister Modi's meeting. The Lasalgaon Police had already issued preventive notices to several farmer activists of the City Development Committee and activists of farmers' organisations in the area who played a role in boycotting the voting.
