Hitting out at the Shiv Sena for its “politics of hate and goondaism”, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday urged the Election Commission of India to “de-recognise” the Sena for its “illegal and dangerous activities” and asked the BJP-led saffron alliance Government to book the Sena leaders for “inciting” violence and destroying the law and order in the State.
Taking serious cognisance of the Shiv Sena’s latest anti-Pakistan protests at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai, AAP’s national spokesperson Preeti Sharma Menon came down heavily on the Sena for repeated efforts to disturb law and order in the State and the Devendra Fadnavis Government for its failure to prevent the activists belonging to its ruling ally from staging in questionable protests in the metropolis.
“In the last few weeks Shiv Sena has threatened and cancelled singer Ghulam Ali’s concert, and they attacked the organiser of a book launch. On Monday they have attacked the BCCI office leading to the cancellation of the Indo-Pak cricket talks in Mumbai. This is completely unacceptable,” Preeti said.
“Civil society must come together and demand a ban on Shiv Sena, as the party neither understands nor participates in upholding our constitution or our democracy. Instead they are always ready to precipitate tensions with neighbouring countries. We, therefore, demand the Election Commission to take note of Sena’s illegal and dangerous activities and de-recognise the party. At the same time, the Maharashtra Government should book Sena leaders for inciting violence and destroying the law & order in the State,” the AAP spokesperson said.
Alluding to the Devendra Fadnavis Government’s “failure” to rein in the Sena activists, Preeti said: “What’s worse is that the BJP and Shiv Sena are together supposed to be governing Maharashtra. Instead they have spent last year fighting each other — the BJP banned meat and the Shiv Sena protested and sold meat — the Shiv Sena threatened the book launch and BJP protected and conducted it,” she said.
“The only thing they come together was with regard perusing politics of hate. On October 17, 2015 a Muslim college student was picked up for no apparent reason, and thrashed all night by policemen in Bandra Police station, he was told to go to Pakistan. This is a huge blot on the nation. How can we trust a Government who cannot control its own police forceIJ Or is this what the Government is encouraging the police to doIJ,” Preeti asked.
Accusing the Sena of practising “politics of hate and goondaism” for nearly 50 years ever since it was founded, Preeti said: So what exactly is the Shiv SenaIJ It is just a front for goondas who earn their living by threatening harmless people like singers, writers and holding the financial capital to ransom with its threats of bandhs and riots”.