Castigating Jammu & Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh of the BJP over his remark that the killing of Hizbul commander Burhani Wani was an “accident”, the Shiv Sena said on Monday that Singh's remark amounted to his “backing” a terrorist and “insulting” the Army jawans killed on the borders.
Viewing Singh's comment in the context of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar's recent statement that anyone speaking against the country must be “taught a lesson” in the same way that an “actor” and an “online trading company” were taught, the Sena took strong exception to the J & K deputy chief minister's statement that Wani's killing was an “accident”.
In an editorial published in its official mouth-piece “Saamana”, the Sena referred to Parrikar's covert dig at Bollywood actor Aamir Khan, whose contract with Snapdeal was not renewed after his “increasing intolerance in the country” statement, and said: “It is easy to teach a lesson to an actor. What should we do with people who make similar statements wearing mask of patriotism. Should we perform puja to such peopleIJ”
Alluding to the J&K deputy chief minister's “accident” remark over Wani killing, the Sena editorial said: “The country needs politicians who justify Wani's killing and support the Armymen who carried out the act. If killing Wani was an accident then the PDP-BJP Government in Jammu & Kashmir is also an accident. What if the people view Wani's killing in this wayIJ”.
The Sena editorial said that the J&K Deputy Chief Minister's statement had put Parrikar's in a difficult position.
“Parrikar has only expressed the sentiments of people but who is it that is discouraging our armymenIJ We can understand if Pakistan mourns the killing of terrorist Burhan Wani. But it was (J&K CM) Mehbooba Mufti who first shed tears on Wani's killing and then it was Nirmal Singh, who allegedly termed it as an accident,” the Sena said.
“This is like backing the terrorist in Wani on one hand, while insulting our martyred jawans on the other. This will make it challenging for Parrikar who talks of teaching a lesson to those who speak against the nation,” the Sena editorial stated.
The Sena, in its editorial ripped apart Singh's remark that Wani's killing was an “accident”. It may be recalled that on July 30, the J&K deputy chief minister — referring to Wani's killing — had said: “Police and security forces told us (the government) that they don't know who the terrorist is. It was an accident. Because when an operation takes place, precautions are taken but we didn't know it would be of such kind. Had we known about it, preparations would have been made”.