Maharashtra: Congress criticises Eknath Shinde govt over restoration of Emergency pension scheme

CM Eknath Shinde. File Photo

The Maharashtra Congress on Friday said the Eknath Shinde government's move to restore the pension scheme for political activists imprisoned during the Emergency, was a futile attempt by people who had no role to play in the freedom struggle to gain sympathy.

In a series of tweets, the Congress' state unit spokesman Sachin Sawant said Shinde had remained a mute spectator to the decision, which was against the ideology of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray, who had openly supported the Emergency.

"It is unfortunate that Shinde who speaks of taking forward Balasaheb's legacy remains quiet over the decision," Sawant said.

Also Read: Maha CM Eknath Shinde restores Emergency pension scheme scrapped by Uddhav Thackeray govt

Shinde on Thursday restored the pension scheme, which was introduced by the Devendra Fadnavis government in 2018, and was later scrapped by the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) dispensation in 2020.

The pension scheme is a futile attempt to belittle the contribution of freedom fighters and raise the importance of RSS. The then RSS chief Balasaheb Deoras had also expressed willingness to support emergency, Sawant claimed in his tweet.

The Fadnavis government, which was in power between 2014 and 2019, had taken the decision to provide pension to activists, who had protested against the Emergency imposed by the then prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1975.

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