BJP appointed corrupt leaders as Ministers instead of putting them in jail, says Raj Thackeray

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray addresses the party State leaders’ meeting, in Mumbai, on January 30, 2025.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Thursday (January 31, 2025), slammed the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for appointing leaders involved in a multi-crore scam as Ministers instead of keeping the promise of putting them behind bars. He referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement that people involved in a ₹70,000 crore scam would be put behind bars and questioned “Where did that happen”.

“Mr. Modi assured that people involved in the ₹70,000 crore scam will be put inside, but little did we know that it meant putting them in the cabinet,” said Mr. Thackeray, adding now who is changing stand. Mr. Thackeray was addressing the party functionaries at the State-level MNS meeting in Worli, Mumbai on Thursday.

Clarifying the statement — ‘Raj Thackeray keeps changing his stand,’—Mr. Thackeray dove into the history of how the BJP changed its leanings, NCP-SP supremo Sharad Pawar changed parties, and other national-level leaders changed their stands for their own political gains. 

“Do you know what changing stands means? The first election took place in 1952, and Rashtriya Swayam Sevak (RSS)‘s political wing, Jan Sangh, was established in the same year. The Janta Party alliance of which Jan Sangh was part, lost against Indira Gandhi in the 1980 elections after the emergency. Later, the alliance broke, and Jan Sangh became the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), who always advocated Hindutva, and moved ahead with the Gandhian socialist stand in 1980 under former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s presidency. Now BJP is again on the Hindutva line,” he said. 

Mr. Thackeray took the names of leaders, who once were bashed by the BJP for corruption in their respective States and questioned the BJP’s changing stand. “BJP called Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma as the epitome of corruption, was given state Finance, Education, and Health Ministry and later in 2021 appointed as Chief Minister. BJP accused West Bengal leader Mukul Roy (returned to TMC) and Karnataka leader B.S. Yediyurappa of corruption, but later took them into the party. Mehbooba Mufti and the late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed were in alliance with the BJP, Mehbooba became the CM, the BJP brought down the government, imposed presidential rule, and removed the 370 section,” he said.

Referring to Ministers in Maharashtra, he said, “BJP leader accused former Congressman Ashok Chavan of his involvement in Adarsh Scam, but he was sent to Rajya Sabha as BJP leader. All former Congressman Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Padamsingh Patil, Harshvardhan Patil and Narayan Rane joined the BJP, now who is changing stands, but media won’t ask.” 

Mr. Thackeray pointed out that BJP leader Kirit Somaiya had tall allegations against several leaders, but now all these people are inducted into the cabinet. 

Mr. Thackeray also made mentions of internal changes in the MNS and setting up a new code of conduct to bring discipline.