A day after Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut retracted his controversial comment on former prime minister Indira Gandhi, his party trained its gun on the BJP on Friday.
The Sena leader had kicked up a storm on Wednesday after he claimed that Indira Gandhi used to meet Karim Lala, a Pathan leader with links to underworld, in south Mumbai.
The Congress party, Sena’s new ally in Maharashtra, took objection to the statement. The BJP also waded into the controversy to corner the Congress over the statement and sought clarification on underworld links.
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Raut, a Rajya Sabha member, withdrew his statement and said his comments were twisted.
An editorial in the Sena mouthpiece Saamana, which is edited by Raut, picked up the thread and said those who once wanted to remove the former prime minister from India’s history are now expressing discontent on a statement made on her.
“We welcome that Indira ji Gandhi has become dear to them (BJP). It is amusing to see those who wanted to wipe out Indira ji’s identity are now worried about her,” the editorial in Saamana said on Friday.
In an attempt to clarify, the Sena said that it has always defended Indira Gandhi.
“Shiv Sena has always respected the personality and guidance of Indira. Whenever Indira Gandhi was criticised, Sena defended her. Sena doesn’t use Shivaji or Gandhi for convenience like other parties,” it said.
In another attack on the BJP, the editorial said no one can predict who one will meet as it picked up the examples of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mehbooba Mufti and Udayanraje Bhosale, who was with the Nationalist Congress Party before switching sides to the ruling party at the Centre.
{{/usCountry}}In another attack on the BJP, the editorial said no one can predict who one will meet as it picked up the examples of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mehbooba Mufti and Udayanraje Bhosale, who was with the Nationalist Congress Party before switching sides to the ruling party at the Centre.
{{/usCountry}}“If this was not the case, then Modi and Shah wouldn’t have made a government with Mehbooba Mufti on whom there are allegations of terrorism and separatism,” the editorial said.
In a veiled jibe at Udayanraje Bhosale, it pointed out the former Satara lawmaker’s comments.
“The BJP is completely by the side of the ones who gave the title of ‘pedawalas’ to tall leaders such as Modi. Thus the question is whether Modi is being equated to Satara’s pedawala. The BJP leaders in Maharashtra must clarify on this,” it said.