Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday slammed the INDIA bloc rally held in Mumbai on Sunday as the gathering of leaders rejected by voters who are frustrated over not being in power, reported news wire PTI.

Leaders of the INDIA bloc launched the Lok Sabha 2024 poll campaign at the public gathering and show of strength of the opposition leaders, a day after the schedule for the general elections was announced by the Election Commission.

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, DMK`s MK Stalin, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, PDP`s Mehbooba Mufti, NCP (SP) leader Sharad Pawar among others attended the rally.

As per PTI report, Shinde said, “The Sunday rally of INDIA bloc leaders was nothing but a gathering of people who were rejected by voters. Their frustration over not being in power was visible on their faces. How can such rejected people even claim to remove Prime Minister Narendra Modi from power?”

He added that the opposition bloc does not have any prime ministerial face against Narendra Modi. This INDIA bloc is a political compromise that lacks confidence. You should have seen their faces when Rahul Gandhi was speaking, the CM added.

Targeting Uddhav Thackeray over his opening remarks while addressing the rally, Shinde said that due to immense pressure from the INDIA bloc leaders, the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief could not include the word `Hindu` in his speech.  

“As Thackeray joined hands with Congress, I had to rebel against him. Now, the pressure of the INDIA bloc is so much that he didn`t even use the word Hindu in his speech,” Shinde alleged, PTI report added.

Thackeray had addressed the audience as his `deshbhakt and deshpremi brothers and sisters` instead of the traditional invocation of `Hindu brothers and sisters`, the address Shiv Sena founder and his father late Balasaheb Thackeray used. 

Thackeray on Monday however, defended his opening phrase saying he used it as the INDIA bloc wants to save the country and democracy.

CM Shinde on Sunday had snubbed the INDIA bloc-led by Congress` rally at Shivaji Park, remarking as `black day` for Maharashtra. “The historic place of Shivaji Park ground where late Balasaheb Thackeray gave his Hindutva speeches, today will witness people (Congress) not believing in Savarkar giving a speech,” Shinde said.

(With PTI inputs)

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