PM's birthday is a 'Black Day' for us: Congress MP Praniti Shinde

New Delhi, Sep 16 (IANS) Congress MP Praniti Shinde on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Maharashtra government, terming the PM’s birthday a “black day” for the opposition.

Speaking to reporters in Solapur, her Lok Sabha constituency, after meeting Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Shinde alleged that the country was going through an “undeclared Emergency” where opposition voices were being stifled.

“The Opposition is not being allowed to speak, votes are being stolen, and the press has lost its rights. The media has become ‘Godi Media’. Farmers are protesting on the streets, but their voices are not being heard,” she said.

Highlighting the devastation caused by heavy rains in Solapur district, Shinde demanded immediate compensation for farmers. “Soybean and other crops have been badly affected. The government must provide relief at the earliest,” she urged.

She also accused the Solapur Municipal Corporation of corruption and failure in drainage works. “Crores of rupees were sanctioned, yet water entered people’s homes. For four years, municipal elections have not been held. This is the murder of democracy,” Shinde alleged.

On the recent India-Pakistan cricket clash, the Congress MP said playing the match while Operation Sindoor was ongoing against terror groups sent the wrong message.

“At one side, we are fighting Pakistan, and on the other, we play cricket with them. Our players were under pressure not to shake hands with Pakistani cricketers—then why play the match at all? This has hurt the morale of our Armed forces,” she remarked, accusing the BCCI of being driven solely by commercial interests.

Shinde further criticised the government over the Special Intensive Revision exercise (SIR) of the voter list, alleging it was being used to manipulate the electoral process.

“Vote theft is happening across the country. In Bihar, we sought a discussion in the Parliament, but the government deliberately avoided it. The system has collapsed,” she charged.

--IANS

sas/uk