Union minister Athawale backs Modi as PM until 2029

Jaipur: Union minister of state for social justice and empowerment Ramdas Athawale voiced strong support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to remain in office until 2029, passing over RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's recent remark on retirement age guideline of 75 years.

Speaking to reporters here on Wednesday, the Republican Party of India (A) chief emphasised his party's stance as an NDA constituent. "It is my party's view that Modi should remain the PM till 2029. What RSS says about retiring at 75, I don't know. However, under Modi's leadership, the govt has come back," Athawale stated during the press briefing.

The minister also addressed political tensions in Maharashtra, criticising MNS leader Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray for allegedly departing from Balasaheb Thackeray's original ideology. He particularly condemned the harassment of non-Marathi speakers in Maharashtra, noting that approximately 60% of Mumbai's population comprises non-Marathi speakers.

"Mumbai, as India's financial capital, is home to people from various states. While encouraging Marathi language learning is acceptable, intimidation and violence are not," Athawale said, adding that the Devendra Fadnavis govt would act against such incidents.

In other matters, Athawale criticised leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi for allegedly creating societal divisions through repeated references to the Constitution, asserting that "No one can alter Baba Saheb's Constitution."

The minister also expressed concerns about the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, suggesting an investigation into potential inclusion of Bangladeshi nationals with altered identities in voter lists.