Expressing serious concern over the growing tensions along India’s borders with Pakistan and China, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray said on Tuesday that if the ruling BJP neglected the responsibility of protecting its borders and concentrated more on winning the 2019 polls, then it would be doing “injustice” to the country.
In the second part of his interview published in the Sena’s official mouth-piece Saamana, Uddhav wondered “if India is prepared, if a war breaks out at this stage”.
Though the headline of his interview quotes the Sena president as having wondered if the country was prepared if a war broke out at this stage, there was no specific remark to that effect in the entire interview. All the same, Uddhav spoke about the explosive situation along the borders of Pakistan and China.
“Kashmir was peaceful for a very long time. However, Kashmir has erupted for the past one year after the killing of Burhan Wani... All of a sudden, China is threatening to overpower us. I don’t know where our fault lies. Thanks to the Prime Minister’s tours across the globe, the entire world has become India’s friends. But I don’t know why two of our neighbours (Pakistan and China) are proving to be strong for us. Unfortunately none friends is supporting us openly in taking on our neighbours,” Uddhav said.
“We do not exactly know how much of strength that China has, but we should on increasing our defence power to take on China,” Uddhav added.
If the ruling party were to concentrate on internal politics and think about ways to win the 2017 elections at this stage, then it would be doing injustice to the country,” Uddhav said.
“You can win elections at any point in time. In fact you have already won an election. If you lose your friend in your own country, why will a friendly country come to your helpIJ”
Asked as to why the BJP perceived the Shiv Sena as its number one enemy, Uddhav said, “It may be the case that India has neglected the threat emanating from Pakistan and China and finds Shiv Sena bigger enemy than China and Pakistan”.
Uddhav, who spoke on various issues in the second part of the marathon interview, said that he had not made any “Y-turn” from the stand he had taken ahead of the Brihmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls in February this year, when he had said that the Sena would henceforth not have an electoral with any political party, including the BJO.
“We did not have a tie-up with the BJP in the BMC polls and also in the subsequent Panvel municipal corporation elections. We continue to maintain our independent identity as the Shiv Sena even in the NDA. At a recent meeting, BJP President amit Shah tried to resolve the differences between the Sena and BJP. That does not mean that I have taken a U-turn vis-a-vis my stand on the BJP. We (the Sena and the BJP) will have an open discussion to resolve our differences at stage. If the relations do not improve even them, then I will adopt an “Ekla chalo Re” stand vis-a-vis other parties, including the BJP,” Uddhav said.