Oppn slams BJP for rerun of Modi's Madison Square speech, says PM is misusing power

After some Marathi news channels aired PM Narendra Modi’s speech at the Madison Square Garden in New York during the 9 pm slot as an advertisement, opposition parties lashed out at the party as well as the Marathi news channels. [caption id=“attachment_1754087” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] PM Narendra Modi’s Madison Garden speech was aired on Marathi news channels. PTI[/caption] A report in The Economic Times said that NCP chief Sharad Pawar attacked PM Modi for misusing official machinery. “You (Modi) didn’t go to the US as a BJP leader. They should not have used the speech for the election campaign. The PM’s office is an institution and he has the same responsibility as us in maintaining the dignity of the PM’s office. He has reduced the prestige of the PM’s post,” said Pawar in the report. Strangely, Shiv Sena was not affected by this incident as party MP Sanjay Raut said that Shiv Sena was not opposed to the speech aired on the Marathi news channels. Pawar on Sunday had praised Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray for “working hard” to strengthen his party after the demise of his father and party founder Bal Thackeray in 2012. “After Balasaheb’s death, you (media) wasted a lot of ink on contemplating the future of Shiv Sena. But, Uddhav has proved you wrong. He is doing well to strengthen the party which is more than expected. He is working hard,” Pawar had said. MNS chief Raj Thackeray and Congress also criticised the PM for the incident. A Congress member even claimed that the party had written to the Election Commission, demanding action against BJP as well as the PM, according to the ET report. Modi has campaigned personally in Maharashtra, betting he can help his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) win big in a state with a population of 110 million spread across an area the size of Italy. (With agency inputs)