After many years, the opposition in India has got a face in Narendra Modi and this has created a storm in national politics, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray said in Mumbai on Sunday.

“Until now, barring (former prime minister) Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Indian opposition parties lacked an acceptable ‘face’ before fighting elections. This time, people have a choice, a strong party and a good face in the form of Modi. The National Democratic Alliance has no cause for worry,” Thackeray said in an interview to party mouthpiece Saamana.

Thackeray’s comments may be a signal that after the recent strain, all is now well between the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

On the other hand, the ruling Congress is in a shambles, he said.

“Earlier, right from Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, the Congress had a ‘face’. This time, they are not willing to bring forward Rahul Gandhi, or Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra. They don’t have a face, but the opposition parties are united under Modi and confidently marching ahead,” the Shiv Sena chief said.

“Will this not lead to a repeat of the ‘India Shining’ campaign (of 2004)?” asked the interviewer, Sanjay Raut, also Saamana’s executive editor and Rajya Sabha member.

“Forget it, India will shine in a real sense under Modi. Earlier, ‘India Shining’ and ‘Feel Good’ were propounded by the NDA. But this was ridiculed by the opponents. Look now, what is the state of the poor? If that was not ‘India Shining’ and there was no ‘Feel Good’ factor at that time, then what do you feel now?” Thackeray countered.

He said when he had travelled abroad a couple of times during that time, Indians used to get great respect and tourists and investors were willing to come to the country.

“But now, the image is that India is steeped in corruption. Being famous is good, but now we are ‘infamous’ among foreign investors who are backing off from India. In fact, many of our own industrialists are packing their bags and moving out of India due to the maladministration here,” Thackeray said.

The Shiv Sena leader also spoke about the recent defections in the party.

He dismissed them as of little significance and said they were of little consequence to the party founded, built and nurtured by the late Bal Thackeray who died in November 2012.

Uddhav said there were questions: “After Bal Thackeray, what? Even now, there are similar questions, so what?”

To a query that ahead of the elections there were a lot of ‘Gayarams’ (defectors) from the Shiv Sena, Thackeray shot back that there was ‘Ram’ in the word ‘Gayaram’.

“But do they have any of the qualities of Lord Ram? How many people have gone with them? And now that they have gone, it’s clear to the public why they went,” he said.

He said there were some who quit but are now desperately remembering the late Bal Thackeray.

“They may have got posts and designations in other parties but the love and loyalty of Bal Thackeray and Shiv Sainiks they could get only from the Shiv Sena,” he said.

Narendra Modi today mocked at Rahul Gandhi for giving ticket to “tainted” former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan and accused NCP chief Sharad Pawar of failing to stop farmers’ suicides in Maharashtra.

Addressing an election rally in Nanded, Modi slammed the Congress for being “shameless” by stating that no law stops Chavan from contesting polls.

“Though Shahzada (Rahul) has said he won’t compromise with corruption and action will taken in the case, Chavan was given the ticket,” he said.

Mocking at the Congress for resurrecting Chavan, he said, “For Congress giving ticket is taking action. What Adarsh candidates they have,” he said in an obvious reference to the Adarsh Housing scam in Mumbai in which the former CM’s name had cropped up.

“Can anyone think of a scam over widows of heroes who died in Kargil? Its not about a building in Mumbai or giving flats to in-laws,” he said.

Promising action on Adrash scam, he said no one will be spared when the new government assumes power after May 16.

In Amravati, Modi said Pawar has done little to save the farmers in the belt, which has seen a spate of suicides by them, and asked the voters to free India and Maharashtra of NCP.

“The Agriculture Minister is from here, yet he is unable to save farmers. He has time to talk on cricket but not for dying farmers. Let us have a NCP free India and Maharashtra,” he said.

Flaying the local body tax, he said, “LBT is nothing but Looto Baato Tax. This tax is ruining the farmers of Maharashtra.”

In Akola, Modi blasted UPA’s policies for the spate of farmer suicides in Vidarbha in the last few years.

Gujarat, he said, too had cotton growers, but they were not taking the extreme step like their counterparts in Maharashtra’s cotton belt.

“Like in Vidarbha there were cotton growers in Gujarat and his state, too, had to face drought. But, farmers in Gujarat did not think of ending their lives. In Vidarbha cotton production is 280 kg per hectare, while in Gujarat it is 630 kg,” he said, addressing a rally here.
Taking on the Congress, the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate said, “In 1857, the call was to free India from British and in 2014 the call is to free India from Congress”.

“Be it unemployment or farmers, they are just not bothered. Sadly, these people in Congress do not know what poverty is,” he charged.

Once again referring to Rahul Gandhi as ‘shahzada’, Modi said, “Does the shahzada know the pain of sleeping without shelter on cold nights.”

On the “CWG and Adarsh scams”, he said, “They have looted the country at will. Where will they be after May 16?”

May 16 is the day of counting of Lok Sabha votes and BJP is hopeful of coming back to power after a gap of 10 years.

Referring to the late Shiv Sena chief, Modi said, “Balasaheb Thackeray stays on in our hearts. Lets fulfil his dream of Congress Mukt Maharashtra and India.”

Taking a dig at the UPA, he said, “Usually there are coalitions to defeat the incumbent government but this is first election where everyone is coming together to stop Modi.

They want to do everything to ensure that Modi does not come to power.”

Modi also referred to the past survey of Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF) on Gujarat to attack Rahul Gandhi.

“RGF has said in its survey that Gujarat is the most developed and progressive state. So are you questioning it (Foundation) in which your mother is chairperson?” Modi asked.

“These elections are a fight for good governance. After 16th May there will be time for good governance.”

Training his guns on Rahul, Modi asked why he was targeted shying away from UPA government’s performance.

The Centre has not equipped the farmers with even the basic techniques to improve their production quality, leaving them with no choice but to commit suicide, he said.

“There is an agriculture university in this region (in Akola). But is it of any use to the farmers?” he asked the gathering. Modi blamed Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and the Congress for the plight of farmers.

The Gujarat CM slammed the Centre for banning cotton export, but providing subsidy on mutton export. “Because of ban on cotton export farmers in Gujarat suffered losses of Rs 7,000 crore. Imagine what farmers in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh must have suffered,” he said.

The Bombay High Court has upheld a life sentence awarded to a 27-year-old woman for murdering her husband after two months of marriage, while accepting the extra-judicial confession made by her to the victim’s brother that she had committed the offence.

A division bench of Justices V K Tahilramani and V L Achliya upheld the conviction and life sentence of Jyoti Malusare for murdering her husband Vijay on June 15, 2007.

Jyoti and Vijay had married on May 9, 2007. However, Jyoti was in a relationship with another person Jeevan Waragade before marriage.

According to the prosecution, Jyoti and Jeevan hatched conspiracy to murder Vijay and on the night of June 14, 2007. She poisoned her husband’s milk and then strangulated him to death when he was asleep.

The next day morning, Vijay’s brother Abhay, who lived in an adjacent room, failed to get response from him when he tried to wake him up. Abhay, with the help of neighbours, rushed the victim to a hospital where he was declared dead.

Abhay later made enquiries with Jyoti as to what had happened the previous night.

According to prosecution, Jyoti confessed poisoning her husband and then strangulating him to death with a towel.

Abhay lodged an FIR against Jyoti and she was arrested the same day. While trial was conducted against both Jyoti and Jeevan, the Sessions court acquitted Jeevan due to lack of evidence. Jyoti was convicted for murder and awarded life.

“If we consider the prosecution case and evidence adduced, then it is clear that there are no eyewitnesses to the incident. The entire case of the prosecution is based on the extra-judicial confession made by the accused Jyoti to the victim’s brother Abhay and circumstantial evidence,” the High Court noted while hearing Jyoti’s appeal against conviction.

The Court held that the prosecution managed to duly corroborate the extra-judicial confession with circumstantial evidence.

“We are of the view that Abhay’s testimony inspires full confidence and is found to be truthful. So also, the extra-judicial confession made by the accused to him is found to be voluntary and does not suffer from any material discrepancies,” the court said.

“We are, therefore, of the view that the extra-judicial confession made by accused to Abhay can be accepted as admissible piece of evidence to form the basis to uphold the conviction of the appellant,” the court said.