Congress Speaking Pakistan's Language: Fadnavis on Wadettiwar

Pune, May 6 (PTI) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday accused Congress of speaking "Pakistan's language", amid a row over party leader Vijay Wadettiwar's allegation that an RSS-affiliated policeman and not terrorist Ajmal Kasab killed then ATS chief Hemant Karkare.

Addressing a campaign rally in Shirur city in Pune district, Fadnavis recalled the tweet of a Pakistani minister supporting Rahul Gandhi.

"As there was less support for the alliance of Rahul Gandhi and Sharad Pawar, a tweet was made from Pakistan wherein minister Fawad Chaudhry stated that India should be led by Rahul Gandhi," Fadnavis said.

A leader from Congress blurted out two days back that Hemant Karkare was not killed by Ajmal Kasab's bullet, but by someone here, he said.

Citing Wadettiwar's remarks, the senior BJP leader said the Congress has "lost its mental balance as they are now speaking Pakistan's language".

Fadnavis said Pakistan used to claim earlier that Kasab was innocent but he was convicted (and hanged after trial) in Indian courts of law.

"The lawyer who convicted him, Ujjwal Nikam, is our candidate. He proved that it was Kasab who had killed innocent people (during the Mumbai terror attack)," said Fadnavis.

Wadettiwar, the leader of the opposition in the Maharashtra assembly, had claimed that the 26/11 prosecution lawyer, Ujjwal Nikam, hid the information that Karkare wasn't killed by Kasab but fell to a bullet by a policeman affiliated with RSS.

The "Aghadi" (opposition alliance) is now with Kasab and we (Mahayuti) are with Nikam, Fadnavis said.

Fadnavis said Narendra Modi eliminated terrorists after becoming Prime Minister through surgical strikes and air strikes.

"Earlier, terrorists used to come to Mumbai and Pune and trigger blasts, and our then prime ministers used to just condemn the attack, or approach the USA complaining about Pakistan.

"But after Modi became PM, he directly conducted surgical strikes and air strikes and eliminated terrorists. After 2019, Pakistan could not muster the courage to carry out bomb blasts in India as they know their father (Modi) is sitting in Delhi," Fadnavis said.

Because of Modi, Pakistan is now holding a begging bowl, he added.

"This is not a simple election but the one to choose who can keep the nation secure and economically prosperous," Fadnavis added.

A former special public prosecutor, Nikam had represented the state in high-profile cases like the Mumbai serial bomb blasts and the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.

He is making his political debut from the Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha seat on a BJP ticket and is pitted against city Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad.