Shiv Sena continues to corner BJP over inflation and rising fuel prices

The Sena also attacked the Modi government over its promises of ‘acche din’ (better days).

Continuing its attack on its ally at the Centre, the Shiv Sena slammed the Narendra Modi government over the rising fuel prices and inflation. In a scathing editorial in Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamana’, the party said that PM Modi is out to ‘buy’ bullet train to fulfil his dream, but the common man is unable to buy even two litres of petrol for his two-wheeler.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray(HT Photo)

The Sena also attacked the Modi government over its promises of ‘acche din’ (better days). Listing down a series of advertisements that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) used during the campaigning for the 2014 general elections, the Sena mouthpiece stated, “What happened to the promises of acche din? The people are feeling cheated.”

The editorial stated that the NDA’s agenda was to fight the inflation and price rise, but today nobody from the ruling party is talking about it. “If we are talking about NDA’s agenda, then what’s our mistake?,” the editorial questioned.

The Sena has been attacking the BJP government at the Centre and in Maharashtra over a series of issues ranging from farmer suicides, farm loan waivers and demonetisation among others. Farm loan waiver and farmers suicide would help consolidate its base in rural Maharashtra. Issues related to inflation would help reach out to the voters of urban cities, especially Mumbai, where the BJP has a sizeable hold, according to the party leaders.

“If you cannot give us the ‘acche din’, then at least bring the ‘bure din’ (bad days) back. They were better,” the editorial said. It went on to say that the fuel prices were not this high when the crude oil prices were at its peak during the Congress-led UPA government. “When the crude oil price was 130 US$ per barrel, then too the petrol price did not cross Rs70 a litre. Today the per barrel crude oil price is 49.89 US$, still the petrol price is almost Rs80 per litre.”