Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s slogan ‘Ek hai toh safe hai’ (We are safe when we are united), claiming that Maharashtra is already a safe state. Accusing the Prime Minister of creating instability whenever he visits the state, Raut alleged that Prime Minister Modi’s visits are marked by attempts to sow division and provoke unrest.

“I don’t understand why Prime Minister Modi uses such language. After the previous slogan ‘Batenge toh katenge’ failed, he has now introduced this new one. People are already safe in Maharashtra, but when Modi visits, the state becomes unsafe as he creates division and unrest. To really ensure security, we have to remove the BJP,” the Siv Sena (UBT) leader said.

Prime Minister Modi on Friday accused the Congress and its allies of pitting one caste against another and asked people to remain united, saying: “Ek hai, toh safe hai.”

“The only agenda of the Congress party is to pit one caste against another. They don’t want SCs, STs and OBCs to progress and get the recognition they deserve. Remember, ‘Ek hai toh safe hai’ (We are safe when we are united),” Modi said in Dhule, while addressing his first poll in Maharashtra ahead of the November 20 assembly elections.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Modi said that the INDIA bloc is flaunting blank books and passing them off as the Constitution to provoke Dalits and Adivasis.

The Prime Minister said the Congress and its allies should not encourage ‘Pakistani agenda’ and speak the language of separatists. The agenda will only succeed if it has the blessings of the people, PM Modi said.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi also responded to Prime Minister Modi’s comment ‘Ek hai toh safe hai’ by asking, ‘Does this mean we have not been safe in the last ten years’?

Prime Minister Modi also joked that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP), is a vehicle that has no wheels or brakes and there is a struggle to sit in the driver’s seat.

He is scheduled to hold eight more rallies in the state this week.

Maharashtra will vote in a single phase on November 20. The counting of votes will take place three days later.

With inputs from PTI