Shiv Sena likens Modi men to Afzal Khan’s troops, launches blistering attack on mouthpiece Saamna

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Monday launched a blistering attack on the BJP, blaming it for the end of their 25-year-old alliance and questioned PM Narendra Modi’s “new-found” respect for Bal Thackeray after the PM refrained from criticising the former ally at a poll rally in Maharashtra as a tribute to the late patriarch.

“Modi says that he will not attack the Sena in his speeches as he has respect for Balasaheb Thackeray. We too respect the PM. But when you back-stabbed us merely on the issue of seat sharing, where did that respect disappear then? Did you not think of Balasaheb before breaking the alliance forged on the principles of Hindutva,” the Sena said in its editorial mouthpiece Saamana.

Moreover, Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray compared the BJP’s move to get leaders to campaign from outside Maharashtra to the raid by Afzal Khan’s troops. For the first time, Mr Thackeray directly targeted Mr Modi saying that the PM wanted to divide Maharashtra.

Mr Thackeray addressed a rally at Tuljapur in Osmanabad. This was one of the constituencies that became a bone of contention between the Shiv Sena and BJP and caused the break-up of their alliance.

Mr Thackeray said that now the BJP found itself in a difficult situation because they did not have any worthy face to project as the CM candidate.