PM Modi should make phone call to resolve deadlock: Raj Thackeray

Raj Thackeray said that Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi should make a ‘phone call’ to resolve the farmer’s stir.

Amid speculations that Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray is moving closer to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Thackeray on Saturday attacked the BJP over the ongoing farmer’s protest. He said that Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi should make a ‘phone call’ to resolve the farmer’s stir. He also indirectly slammed PM Modi saying that if the Centre does not want non-Indians to give out opinion on issues of India, then he should not have campaigned for former United States president Donald Trump.

Political observers said Thackeray cozy-ing up to the BJP could be early signs of an alliance in the offing ahead of Mumbai civic election. (Sanket Wankhade/HT PHOTO)

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, the MNS chief spoke on varied issues including the Maharashtra government’s U turn on giving relief to consumers for inflated bills. He also targeted the BJP and Shiv Sena for playing politics over renaming Aurangabad to Sambhaji Nagar. He asked why the BJP did not rename the city when it was in power at the Centre and in Maharashtra between 2014 and 2019.

In a bid to revive his party’s political future, the MNS has adopted the hard-line Hindutva stand — the space that fell vacant as the Sena no longer advocates stringent Hindutva lines after forming alliance with the Congress and NCP. Thackeray said he will visit the Ram temple in Ayodhya soon. The date, however, is not decided, he said.

Political observers said Thackeray cozy-ing up to the BJP could be early signs of an alliance in the offing ahead of Mumbai civic election. The BJP would need the MNS to cut into the Marathi votes of the Sena.

Thackeray said that if Union ministers are unable to break the deadlock in discussions with the farmers then PM Modi should intervene to resolve it. He, however, backed the Centre’s law and said there could be some shortcoming which must be rectified.

He said the issue has stretched on for too long. “I have not seen such security at China or Pakistan border. There was no need for such arrangement for farmers,” he said. Referring to PM Modi’s statement in all-party meeting where he said he is a “phone call away”, Thackeray added, “I think that if PM has said he is a phone call away then he should pick up the phone and put an end to this. If his agriculture minister or any other minister cannot find a solution in talks, then the PM should pay attention to this issue.”

The MNS chief further attacked PM Modi and said there was no need to for the Centre to issue clarification after pop singer Rihanna tweeted on the farmer’s agitation. “They say that outsiders should not get involved in matters of the country. Then by that same logic there was no need to hold rallies saying abki bar, Trump Sarkar; it was that country’s internal matter,” he said in an indirect reference to PM Modi’s Howdy Modi event in Houston.

Meanwhile, taking on the Maharashtra government over on not providing relief to power consumers, Thackeray alleged that the “U turn” happened after a meeting between NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Adani. He alleged there would have been some “give and take” between power companies and the government.

“First the minister said they would give relief to consumers. Governor asked me to meet Sharad Pawar. After I met him, he asked me to give letters in the name of the power companies like Adani, MSEB, etc. Then after five-six days, I got to know that Adani met Pawar at his home. I do not know what they discussed but after the meeting, the government said that there will not be any relief given to consumers,” Thackeray said.

The MNS chief further slammed former allies — the BJP and Sena — on the issue of renaming Aurangabad. He said it is merely politics ahead of the civic elections in the city. “Why was the name not changed when the BJP and Sena were in power? Why are you politicising it now? The BJP and Sena must answer this,” he said.