Change course, avoid same speeches: Sena’s advice to PM

In an attack on Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, the Shiv Sena on Tuesday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government should focus on its

In an attack on Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, the Shiv Sena on Tuesday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government should focus on its work instead of seeking political mileage out of decisions to revoke Article 370 and the introduction of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).

HT Image

The Sena was referring to the PM’s speech given in Varanasi on Sunday. While addressing a gathering, Modi had said his government will not go back on its decision to implement the new citizenship law and Article 370 despite facing pressure to scrap the two legislations. The Sena, in its editorial in mouthpiece Saamana, questioned the PM and asked him who is putting pressure on him to go back on the decisions.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party also said that BJP’s defeat in the recently-concluded Delhi Assembly polls has shown that PM Modi needs to “change his direction”. The editorial said that repeating the speech may win “applause but the votes get diverted elsewhere as seen in the Delhi polls”.

“What will you do if such a thing [defeat] happens in Varanasi [Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency],” the editorial questioned.

“Prime Minister Modi [in his speech] in Varanasi declared that ‘the government will not go back in CAA and Kashmir’s Article 370; No matter how much pressure, our government is firm on the decision’... PM Modi and home minister Amit Shah said this in all their speeches [while campaigning in Delhi]. This was the BJP’s campaign [for Delhi polls] but it didn’t work and the people rejected it... Now the PM has made the same speech in Varanasi. The only question is who is putting pressure on Modi to go back on CAA and Article 370. He [Modi] should clarify on this,” the editorial said.

The party backed the Centre’s decision to abrogate the special status given to Jammu and Kashmir through Article 370 but slammed the government on the current situation and asked what has changed after the decision. The editorial said that that when the question on the return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley is asked, Modi says that the government will not revoke the decision.

“We are saying not go back on the decision, but don’t go back on your word either. You have given your word on the ‘ghar wapsi’ of Kashmiri Pandits. And who had given the promise to take back Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to fulfil the dream of an undivided India?” questioned the Sena, adding that the government has not fulfilled the promise to bring industries and business to Kashmir.

The editorial also stated that the government should clear the doubts of the citizens on CAA and “resolve the issue”.