Truce on birthday? PM Modi, CM Fadnavis wish Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray

Leaders across political parties wish Sena chief on his 58th birthday on Twitter, including Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

Amid the ongoing squabble between the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis tweeted birthday greetings to Uddhav Thackeray, who turned 58 on Friday.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. (HT File Photo)

Leaders across political parties wished the Sena chief on his birthday, including Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who also wished him on Twitter.

Gandhi, who was recently praised by Thackeray, said: “Best wishes to Shri Uddhav Thackeray ji, on his birthday. I wish him good health and happiness always.”

Ties between the saffron allies are very strained, and the Sena, for a while now, has been openly critical of the BJP-led government and PM Modi, over polices and the handling of crucial issues.

Earlier this week, Thackeray, in a three-part interview in ‘Saamana’, launched a scathing attack on Modi and the BJP, and reiterated that the Sena would go solo in the upcoming elections. When asked about his Opposition to Modi’s pet project, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train, he said he is working for the dreams of the people, not to fulfil Modi’s dreams.

Thackeray also plans to visit Ayodhya and Varanasi, which is Modi’s constituency, later this year.