Pune
A day after PM Narendra Modi in an interview said he would be the first to help Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray if the latter was in trouble, Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut called the PM “a liar” while stating that Mr. Modi would never have thought of splitting the Shiv Sena had he any real affection for Mr. Thackeray.
In an interview to the news channel TV9, the PM spoke of his immense affection for late Sena founder Bal Thackeray, while stating that as Balasaheb’s son, he respected Uddhav Thackeray and was in touch with the Thackeray family prior to Uddhav’s surgery. Mr. Thackeray had undergone a cervical spine surgery in November 2021, when he was CM of the erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi government.
In the interview, Mr. Modi said that if Mr. Thackeray needed help in the future, he would be the first one to rush to his rescue.
At a time when Mr. Thackeray and the BJP have been hurling bitter invective at each other, especially during campaigning, the PM’s ‘mellow’ remarks on the Sena (UBT) has sparked a buzz in Maharashtra’s political circles.
However, Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut, speaking in Sangli on Friday, said that the PM was making such statements as he knew that the BJP was in trouble and that Mr. Modi was losing the election.
“A trader who is in trouble talks maximum lies… Mr. Modi is the one who created this trouble within the Shiv Sena. Had he really so much affection for Mr. Thackeray, then his BJP would not have split our Shiv Sena in this manner nor would he have said that the real Shiv Sena belonged to a ‘deceiver’ [alluding to CM Eknath Shinde],” said Mr. Raut.
Responding to questions on whether the PM had opened a door to future rapprochement between the BJP and Uddhav Thackeray with his remarks, Mr. Raut said, “The PM’s affection is phoney. Even if they [the BJP] have opened a door, we will not stand next to it. This means that Narendra Modi is losing the election. He knows he is not getting a majority.”
In his interview, the PM, while responding to a question on whether Mr. Thackeray had ‘sympathy’ on his side following the Sena split, had said that the emotional support of the people was with the ruling Mahayuti led by CM and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde.
“This emotional support of the people is with the Mahayuti. The official NCP [led by Ajit Pawar] is with us. Balasaheb’s Thackeray Shiv Sena is with us. Balasaheb had given his life for Shiv Sainiks and the faction [led by CM Shinde] which is working for the welfare of Shiv Sainiks is with us [the BJP],” Mr. Modi said, remarking that Mr. Thackeray had been working to establish his son in politics and that he was sitting with those parties (alluding to Congress and Sharad Pawar-led NCP) who allegedly “praised Aurangzeb” and “insulted [Hindutva ideologue] V.D. Savarkar.”
Mr. Modi had further said that despite the BJP having more MLAs in Maharashtra, the CM was made from the Shiv Sena [Mr. Shinde] as a tribute to Bal Thackeray.
