Maharashtra gets nothing from visits by PM, Shah: Congress leader Patole

Mumbai, Oct 29 (PTI) Congress leader Nana Patole on Wednesday said Maharashtra does not get anything from the visits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to the city.

Speaking to PTI Videos, he also alleged that "funds are being siphoned off from Maharashtra to Bihar ahead of elections." Commenting on Shiv Sena (UBT) chief and Congress ally Uddhav Thackeray calling Shah an anaconda, Patole said he avoids using such words for any person, as it is "not part of our culture." Prime minister Modi on Wednesday attended events related to the India Maritime Week 2025 held here, while Shah had visited the city earlier this week.

"Whenever they come to Mumbai, it creates massive traffic disruptions, yet Maharashtra gets nothing in return," Patole said, adding that "farmers are suffering, suicides are rising, and even Diwali relief funds promised by the Home Minister never reached them." He also accused the BJP of dividing people along religious lines to influence elections, calling it a "desperate attempt that won't succeed." Earlier, Congress leader Sachin Sawant had claimed that curtains were being put up to hide slums in Jogeshwari during Modi’s visit, and accused the BJP-led state government of being ashamed of Mumbai’s poor.

“They’re so ashamed of Mumbaikars living in slums that they’ve put up curtains to hide them,” Sawant said in a post on X.

“You can cover up poverty, filth, garbage, misery, and people’s sufferings — but how will you hide BJP’s hatred for the poor and its inhuman, compassionless mindset?” he added.

The government had launched a “Garibi Chhupao Abhiyan” (hide poverty campaign) by covering up slums, he said, and drew parallels to similar actions allegedly taken during earlier high-profile events such as Namaste Trump in Ahmedabad and the G20 Summit in Mumbai. PTI PS MR KRK