India / Centre runs away when they see China: Maharashtra CM

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday slammed the Centre over the renaming of Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Cricket Stadium to Narendra Modi Stadium.

"Someone said now we won't be losing any cricket matches because the name of the stadium has been changed. We won't be losing any match in that stadium... You erase name of Vallabh Bhai (Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel), do not award Bharat Ratna to Savarkar (Veer Savarkar) and try to teach Hindutva to us," Thackeray said. He was replying to a discussion on the Governor's address in the state assembly on Wednesday.

Uddhav's remarks comes day after Sardar Patel Cricket Stadium's name at Motera in Ahmedabad was changed to Narendra Modi Stadium recently. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, President Ram Nath Kovind, Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju, Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat, and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah were present during the inauguration ceremony ahead of the third Test match between India and England.

The Chief Minister also attacked the Centre over the ongoing farmers' protest. "Farmers are in trouble there (Punjab). Their power & water supplies have been cut off & nails put in their path. But they run away when they see China. If this kind of preparation was made at borders with China or Bangladesh, infiltration won't happen," Uddhav said.

Attacking the BJP and the RSS, Thackeray said, "(Shiv) Sena was not a part of the freedom struggle but neither was your parent organisation (RSS). Just chanting 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' doesn't make you (BJP) a patriot."