Piyush Goyal calls out MVA for manipulating Amit Shah’s old video on reservations

Mumbai: Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday accused the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance of spreading misinformation by peddling a “fake narrative” around an old, doctored video of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

“Like I was telling you now, the fake narrative is peddled by leaders of Congress and Maha Vinash Aghadi again and again through their trolling ecosystem. We received information just now that an old video of Amit Shah regarding reservation, which was proved to be completely fake and morphed, regarding which an FIR has also been lodged. Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar’s party tried to run an old, fake narrative once again; they are so dejected, they can see their defeat so clearly,” Goyal said.

The Union Minister said that the Mahayuti alliance work for every section of the society and urged the STs, Dalits and everyone else to not get lured in by these attempts of “Maha Vinash Aghadi”.

“Under the leadership of Amit Shah and Narendra Modi, Mahayuti-NDA is the only unit that thinks about every section of society. It has strengthened reservations and ensured that OBCs should get their right and honour. I urge STs, Dalits and everyone else to not get lured in by these attempts of Maha Vinash Aghadi,” he said.

Goyal expressed confidence that as long as PM Modi and BJP are in the country, reservations will not be scrapped.

“I condemn Maha Vinash Aghadi for its attempt to spread its stale lies among people. The people of Maharashtra will not be lured in. People of the state are complete with Mahayuti. They believe that if there is any threat to reservations, it is because of Rahul Gandhi, because of Congress and Maha Vinash Aghadi…Nobody in the country has the strength to scrap reservations. As long as there is PM Modi, as long as there is even a worker of the BJP, reservations will not be scrapped from this country,” he said.

The Union Minister exuded confidence in winning the Maharashtra Assembly polls with a thumping majority and said that people do not trust the false promises of “Maha Vinash Aghadi”.

“Mahayuti government is what the people want. Mahayuti is going to win Maharashtra with a thumping majority. People do not trust the false promises of Maha Vinash Aghadi. The public has understood that a party that can insult even its founder Balasaheb Thackeray – who had said that he would shut down his party but not join hands with Congress, a man that can reject the Hindutva sentiments for its ambitions, for the desire of CM post, for establishing his son. The entire idea of Shiv Sena was demolished in 2019. People do not trust such a party anymore,” Goyal said.

Assembly elections in the state are scheduled for November 20, with votes for all 288 constituencies to be counted on November 23.

The opposition MVA coalition, comprising Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and the Nationalist Congress Party (SCP), seeks to reclaim power in the state, challenging the Mahayuti alliance, which includes Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Ajit Pawar-led NCP.

In the 2019 Maharashtra assembly elections, the BJP won 105 seats, Shiv Sena secured 56, and Congress 44. In 2014, the BJP won 122 seats, Shiv Sena 63, and Congress 42.