Charge your batteries first to counter ISIS,' Shiv Sena tells Fadnavis

Mumbai: Taking a swipe at Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over his "remote control" remarks, ally Shiv Sena on Monday said he should concentrate first on "charging the batteries" of his political will to fight the threat posed by ISIS in the state.

Fadnavis, while speaking at an event to commemorate Bal Thackeray’s birth anniversary here, had recently said that the late Sena Supremo may have given Uddhav Thackeray the remote control of power, but he has in turn handed it over to him.

"Now that (Shiv Sena president) Uddhav Thackeray has handed over the remote control (of power) to me, other (Sena) ministers should also understand this," Fadnavis had said, in an apparent reference to some Shiv Sena ministers who have been critical of his style of functioning.

The Sena, in an edit in mouthpiece 'Saamana', said that Fadnavis has announced that the remote control of the government is in his hands, "but, at the same time, ISIS has surrounded the state" and added that without the batteries, the remote control is worthless.

"The whole country has been gripped by the menace of ISIS. But if the remote control lies in Maharashtra, the Chief Minister should take it seriously. The CM had announced that he has the remote control of the government in his hands, but, at the same time, ISIS has surrounded the state," the Sena said.

It said that ISIS wants to use Maharashtra for fulfiling their ill-intentions to convert India into Syria and the responsibility of stopping the terror outfit lies with those who have the remote control of power.

"But what will you do if the battery of that remote control lies somewhere else? Concentrate first on charging the batteries of your political will to fight the menace. Politics can be played over issues but security of the state is most important," the Sena said.