Milind Deora on Sunday launched a veiled attack on Congress leadership after joining Shiv Sena, saying his parent party is not the same as it used to be when Manmohan Singh had launched economic reforms but it is now abusing industrialists, businessmen and calling them anti-nationals.

Addressing a gathering at Varsha, the official residence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde here, Deora said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have a vision for developing the country. He also hailed Shinde as the "most accessible" chief minister.

"It is not easy to decide to quit Congress with whom the Deora family has been associated for 55 years. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde requires good people. It is the opinion of Shinde and Lok Sabha member Shrikant Shinde that I can represent his vision and I am thankful to them for trusting me." "I want to tell one thing, I was loyal to Congress when it was going through a difficult phase. I joined Congress in 2004. If Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) had focused on the constructive suggestions and merit, we would not be sitting here," he said pointing at Shinde, whose rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray split Shiv Sena in June 2022.

Deora, a former Union minister, said, "When Manmohan Singh was the finance minister 30 years ago, the Congress party ushered in economic reforms, but now it is abusing industrialists and businessmen, and calling them anti-nationals".

Though Deora didn't name any Congress leader, he was apparently referring to Rahul Gandhi who often criticises the Adani Group.

Deora said he believed in the politics of "GAIN" which stands for Growth, Aspiration, Inclusivity and Nationalism and not of "PAIN" which he explained as an acronym for Personal Attacks, Injustice and Negativity.

Welcoming Deora into the Shiv Sena fold, Shinde said he had experienced a similar churn of thoughts before taking a decision one-and-a-half-years ago as expressed by Deora on Sunday.

"A decision always has some good or bad consequences. We all shall work together and help people. We need to strengthen the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," the chief minister said.

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