After the Shiv Sena (UBT) announced its decision to skip the dinner meeting of the Opposition parties hosted by the Congress over Rahul Gandhi’s repeated comments on Veer Savarkar, the Maharashtra Congress on Monday sought to mend fences with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena by saying that his party and Sena had come together to fight the BJP despite the fact that the two parties had different views on Savarkar.
A day after Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray said that his party would not any tolerate insult heaped on Savarkar, his party MP Arvind Sawant said that no one from his party would attend the dinner meeting convened by the Congress and that the grand-old party has to understand Savarkar first. Resorting to a damage control exercise, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Nana Patole said: “It is a well-known fact that Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress have different views as far as Savarkar issue is concerned... Considering the political situation in the country, Congress, Shiv Sena and NCP have come together at least through a common program for a larger battle. Currently, the battle to save country, democracy and constitution is important. This battle is big and we are fighting together against the BJP”.
“The Congress’ stand towards Savarkar is clear right from the beginning. There is nothing new in it. But ruling BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena are trying to drive a wedge between Congress and Shiv Sena.