Amit Shah meets Eknath Shinde again, stirs unease in BJP camp
Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a 30-minute meeting with Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde amid talk of new political alignments in the state
Amid ongoing discussions about new political equations and alliances in Maharashtra, Union Home Minister Amit Shah met Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday. The meeting lasted around thirty minutes, after which reports of unease within the BJP began to surface.
After the meeting, Shah and Shinde travelled together in the same car to the Asiatic Society office. Shah is on a three-day tour of Maharashtra, during which he will also attend a Ganeshotsav event organised by BJP leader and close aide Ashish Shelar.
According to some trusted party sources, Shah usually does not miss an opportunity to attend Shelar's Ganeshotsav event. This has made the meeting between Shah and Shinde, coming amid the current political churn in Maharashtra, particularly significant.
During his Mumbai visit, Shah also made a major announcement. He said that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) would be implemented before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections in all 21 states currently ruled by the BJP. He said the BJP had already implemented the law in several states. His remarks have reignited the nationwide debate over the Uniform Civil Code.
Speaking to the media in Mumbai on Sunday, Shah said, "We have implemented the Uniform Civil Code in several states. I am confident that before 2029, during the tenure of BJP-led NDA governments, we will implement the Uniform Civil Code in all 21 states." He said that with actions such as the surgical strike, the air strike and Operation Sindoor, a policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism had been established, prioritising security.
Shah further said that by adopting a policy of giving a strong response to terror attacks, India had shown its strength to the entire world. He said the government's decisions to remove Article 370, control Naxalism and resolve the problems of the Northeast had given the country relief from three major crises.
Speaking at the 52nd India Gem and Jewellery Awards ceremony in Mumbai, Home Minister Shah said, "Who had even thought that a response to a terror attack would be given by entering Pakistan's territory, and who had thought that the country would get a prime minister capable of taking such a tough decision." He said that whether it was the surgical strike, the air strike or Operation Sindoor, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had adopted such a security policy that the enemy would think twice and tremble even before thinking of attacking India.
The Home Minister also said that whether it was the construction of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple, the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, the restoration of Kedarnath or Mahakal Lok, India had achieved things that people had not even dared to talk about for decades.
