Thane (Maharashtra) [India] May 1 (ANI): Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking the strictest action against Pakistan.

Speaking to ANI, Dy Shinde said, 'For the first time, PM Modi has taken the strictest action against Pakistan.' Five people were removed from the High Commission, and the Indus Water Treaty was suspended. The Attari Border was closed, and Pakistani nationals were asked to leave. Three branches (of the Indian Armed Forces) are given free hand to save the country. Has this ever happened before?' he added.

Referring to India's response after the Pulwama terror attack, Shinde said, 'Who carried out surgical strike after Pulwama attack?... This time also, Pakistan will get a befitting reply.'

He criticised the Congress party, accusing it of lacking the courage to act against terrorism. 'Congress never had the guts to give a befitting reply to Pakistan or take action against terrorists because of vote bank politics. Lakhs of soldiers lost their lives due to vote bank politics,' Shinde said.

Deputy CM Shinde also welcomed the Union Cabinet's decision to include a caste census in the upcoming national census. He said that this will truly open the doors to social justice.

Speaking to ANI, Shinde described the decision as 'historic.' 'Yesterday's decision is historic for all the people of the country...people who belong to backwards classes can be brought to the mainstream...everybody will get justice from this...Shiv Sena welcomes this decision,' he said.

'Since independence, this is the only such major decision, and that is why I welcome it. I thank the Prime Minister because it takes courage to take such bold decisions. This decision is also linked to the future of the country,' Eknath Shinde emphasised.

Taking a jibe at the opposition, he accused the Congress Party of vote bank politics. 'Those people who are claiming that this decision was taken due to them, I want to ask them, you were in power for 60 years, what did you do? Who had tied your hands?...because you wanted to do vote bank politics...those working part-time come and speak, and then they go abroad. Part-time politics won't help in the betterment of the country...', he claimed.

Earlier in the day, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde unfurled the flag at Saket Maidan in Thane and paid homage to the martyrs of the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement.

Samyukta Maharashtra Parishad was the predecessor organisation of Samyuktha Maharashtra Samithi, created with the claim for a distinct Marathi-speaking state out of the State of Bombay with Bombay as its capital. It was established on November 1, 1955, under the leadership of Keshavrao Jedhe in Pune. (ANI)