Asks where was PM’s ‘respect’ for Balasaheb when alliance broke
Ridiculing the stand taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he would not utter a word against it out of his respect for late Balasaheb Thackeray, the Shiv Sena on Monday demanded as to where was Modi’s respect for the late Shiv Sena chief, when the BJP chose to snap its 25-year-old alliance with the Sena merely over the issue of sharing of seats.
A day after Modi went to town saying that he had decided not to criticise the Sena as a tribute to late Balasaheb whom he respected most, the Sena debunked the stand taken by the Prime Minister and said: “At a rally held at Tasgaon in western Maharashtra, Modi said that he would not speak against the Sena as he had a lot of respect for late Balasaheb. It is nice to know that he has respect for late Balasaheb. We welcome it. We also respect Modi. But, the issue now is: why has the Sena-BJP alliance—wedded to Hindutava ideology — that the late Sena chief kept it intact brokenIJ “
“Where was Modi’s respect for late Thackeray when the saffron alliance split over the mere issue of sharing of seats for the Assembly pollsIJ Had he intervened, eased the tension between the two parties and taken the initiative to keep the Sena-BJP alliance intact, that would have been Modi’s real tribute to the late Balasaheb. But such a thing did not happen. Why did the thought of paying tribute to late Balasaheb did not occur (to Modi) when the saffron was on the brink of splitIJ,” the Saamana editorial asked.
Alluding to reports in most of the newspapers in the State and across the country that had said that he had chosen not to criticise the Shiv Sena in any of the three elections held at Beed, Aurangabad and Mumbai, Modi had said in his election rally at Tasgaon in western Maharashtra: “I am amazed that newspapers have reported that Modi has not criticised the Shiv Sena in his speeches. let me tell them: this is the first election being held in the absence of (late Shiv Sena chief) Balasaheb Thackeray. Considering the respect and reverence I have for Balasaheb and the efforts he made in a single-handed manner to build the Shiv Sena, I have made up my mind that I will not speak even one word against the Shiv Sena in this first election being held after the death of late Thackeray. This is my tribute to late Balasaheb".
Making no bones about its displeasure over the manner in which the BJP was trying to exploit the legacy of Maratha warrior during its campaigning for the October 15 Assembly polls, the Sena wanted to know as to what was the stand of Modi, party president Amit Shah, its leaders Nitin Gadkari and State party president Devendra Fadnavis on the alleged atrocities on 20 lakh Marathi-speaking people living in the disputed border areas of Maharashtra and Karnataka. “Why do not these Chattripati Ashirwadwallahs do not utter a word against what is happening in Karnataka when they are in MaharashtraIJ At a time when the BJP is at the helm of affairs at the Centre and Modi is the Prime Minister, why do the BJP MPs not utter a word against the alleged atrocities on the Marathi-speaking people at Yellur village in Belgaum district of KarnatakaIJ,” the Sena asked.
The Sena wondered as to how the BJP could expect the blessings of Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji when its leaders chose remain silent on the alleged atrocities on Marathi-speaking in the Maharashtra-Karnataka border areas. “Nor has Modi said that the BJP would not try to divide Chatrapati Shivaji's Maharashtra so as to carve out Vidarbha State from it,” the Sena said.
Taking strong exception to Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel’s recent speech at the Indian Merchants Chambers in Mumbai where reportedly tried to woo the investors to shift their base to her state, the Sena stated: "It is a known fact that the Congress and the NCP have looted Maharashtra. But for what purpose did the CM of Gujarat Anandiben Patel visit MaharashtraIJ If she asks all the industrialists to shift their base in Gujarat, leaving Maharashtra behind, this too amounts to looting Maharashtra," the editorial said.
"How do you define keeping an eye on the coffers of the state and making a deal of Mumbai (for the benefit of Gujarat)IJ Is this not looting MaharashtraIJ And then talking about enjoying the blessings of Shivaji Maharaj is nothing but a farce....Never before has anyone opened a market of Shivaji Maharaj's blessings," the Sena added.