Shiv Sena plans a ‘moderate’ makeover?

The Saamana on Wednesday published an editorial demanding a ban on burqa used by Muslim women. Referring to restrictions put up by the government in Sri Lanka after the terror attack in the island country, an editorial demanded that PM Narendra Modi should follow their lead and ban the veil.

The swiftness with which the Sena leadership distanced itself from an editorial in its mouthpiece, Saamana, demanding a ban on burqa has surprised many in the saffron combine. It has fuelled speculations whether the party’s leadership is trying to adopt a moderate stance or is it just a snub to Saamana editor for putting forth the demand without consulting the Sena chief. Significantly, Aaditya Thackeray has been keen on giving the party a moderate face. He has already stopped Sena workers’ opposition to Valentine’s Day.

The Saamana on Wednesday published an editorial demanding a ban on burqa used by Muslim women. (HT Photo)

The Saamana on Wednesday published an editorial demanding a ban on burqa used by Muslim women. Referring to restrictions put up by the government in Sri Lanka after the terror attack in the island country, an editorial demanded that PM Narendra Modi should follow their lead and ban the veil. Saamana editorials are considered a view of the Sena leadership. During the past four years , even as the Sena continued to share power with the BJP, the Saamana editorials constantly targeted the Modi government. Despite complaints by BJP leaders, the Sena leadership continued to back the editorials. However, on Wednesday, within hours after Saamana published the editorial, Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray asked party spokesperson Neelam Gorhe to clarify that the editorial was the personal opinion of the executive editor Sanjay Raut (Uddhav is the editor of the newspaper founded by his father).

“...Today’s editorial has neither been discussed nor been announced by the party chief and thus it may be a personal opinion of the editor on current affairs...” said Gorhe. A senior Sena leader said the leadership distanced itself from the editorial because of two things. First, it doesn’t want any confrontation with Modi when both he and BJP chief Amit Shah are making a point to maintain cordial relations with Thackeray. Second, the editorial was not in line with the party’s plan to give a moderate face to the Sena. Political analyst, Hemant Desai, said, “Aaditya wants to project himself as a leader acceptable to all sections of the people and he has plans to expand the Sena outside Maharashtra.”