In what may understandably annoy the ruling BJP leadership, its ally Shiv Sena on Saturday heaped praise on Rahul Gandhi, by saying that after his Friday’s speech during the no-confidence debate in lok Sabha, the Congress president had become the face of the Opposition in the country.
On a day when the Sena mouth-piece “Saamana” carried a lead story headlined “Bhava, Jhinklas” on the no-confidence debate that it was Rahul who stole the show with fierce speech and his act of hugging the Prime Minister, Shiv Sena spokesperson and MP virtually went gaga over the manner in which the Congress president performed in lok Sabha. He said that Rahul had come of age through his superlative performance in the lower house of Parliament on Friday.
“As the Congress presidernt, Rahul Gandhi delivered a befitting speech in lok Sabha yesterday. He nearly fulfilled all the expectations that the people have of him. Rahul is steadily proving himself that he can provide an efficient leadership to the country. From yesterday’s speech, Rahul Gandhi has become the face of the Opposition in the country,” Raut said, while interacting with journalists of leading Marathi television channel "ABP Majha".
Disagreeing with Rahul’s critics about his act of hugging the Prime Minister after his speech in lok Sabha, Raut said: “People have criticised him (Rahul) for going and hugging Modi, after his speech. What is wrong in the whole thingIJ What Modi did earlier Rahul Gandhi is doing now You remember, Modi all of a sudden landed Pakistan, met and hugged Nawaz Sharif. Then the commentators called Modi’s move as master stroke. What happened to that master stroke laterIJ When Rahul Gandhi did the same yesterday with Modi, why don’t you consider it a master stroke as wellIJ
“Rahul may have had a strategy behind the whole thing. Did he not take Modi by surpriseIJ There is already an intense debate ion the country about his speech and his hugging act later. That only goes to prove that he is a successful politician,” Raut said.
Queried if Rahul blundered in winking at his colleague after hugging Modi,. Raut said: “What is wrong in Rahul winking at his colleague after he hugged ModiIJ, He was merely telling his colleague he had succeeded in his mission”.
Asked to draw a comparison between the speeches of Modi and Rahul in lok Sabha on Friday, Raut said: “It was Rahul Gandhi’s speech that stood out and not that of Modi. Was there anything in new in what Modi saidIJ He spoke about what his government did, would do, what the Congress did during the last 50 years and how it looted the country... We have been hearing this kind of speeches from Modi for quite some time”.
On why the Sena was sympathetic towards Gandhi, he said: “We talk facts. Whether we did or did not remain present, the entire focus nationally was on our party. ... And we cannot help it, because whenever we speak or do, the national focus is always on the Shiv Sena”
On the Sena’s decision to stay neutral in the process of no-confidence vote, Raut said: “We took the decision of remaining natural of our free will. We are not a party that can be pressured by any one. Our party president Uddhavji took a decision of staying neutral in the no-confidence process at an appropriate time”.
Refusing to elaborate on the Sena’s decision to stay away from the no-confidence motion, Raut said: “Sometimes, silence is more important”.
Asked as to why the Sena made matters easy for the BJP by staying neutral, Raut said: “The Shiv Sena is the only the party that has been criticising the Modi government on issues of importance for the last four years . All other political parties were behaving as if they had suffered paralytic stroke. Where was this TDP that brought the non-confidence motion against the Government yesterdayIJ Who were they withIJ They were with the BJP”
“Remember who welcomed the demonetisation first It was TDP chief minister Chandrababu Naidu. The very next day of the demonetisation decision, it was Sena president Uddhav Thackeray who spoke against demonetisation saying that the decision would destroy the country’s economy,” the Sena spokesperson said.
Replying to a question about the analyses of Friday’s no-confidence vote debate in lok Sabha being done in the media, Raut said: “What commentators you are talking aboutIJ The Government has brought a majority of those who analyse or comment about the performance of this government in media”.
Raut charged that the NDA under the Modi regime was not the same as in was in the Vajpayee era. “There is a vast difference between the NDA under the Vajpayee regime and the one under Modi and Amit Shah. The NDA had then convenors like George Fernandes and Advani. There used to be regular interactions and exchange of views between the BJP and Shiv Sena on issues of public importance. Whenever late Bal Thackeray spoke against certain decision of the NDA government then, senior leader Advani would fly down to Mumbai to meet late Thackeray for a one-to-meeting to find ways to solve the issue,” the Sena spokesperson said.a