Unimpressed Shiv Sena calls Modi’s speech an election pitch

PM Narendra Modi’s attack on the Congress in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday was an election speech, party leaders said

The Shiv Sena, an ally of the BJP in the central and state governments, termed PM Narendra Modi’s attack on the Congress in the Lok Sabha an “election speech”. Sena leaders, including Lok Sabha MPs, said the PM had “gone into poll mode” and slammed the BJP for not fulfilling promises made in 2014 to the people of the country.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks in Lok Sabha on Wednesday. (PTI/TV grab)

Significantly, the criticism of Modi came a couple of weeks after the Sena decided to contest the 2019 elections alone. After 25 years of alliance, the Sena has decided to part ways with the BJP as it had “compromised enough for upholding the alliance”.

Shiv Sena MP and spokesperson Arvind Sawant called the speech a “political” one and said the government needs to move away from only recounting the misdoings of the previous governments. “It was an election speech, similar to the one the PM gave during campaigns. We are tired of listening to what scams happened [during the Congress rule], now tell us what you are doing,” the Lok Sabha MP from south Mumbai said.

Another Sena MP, Anandrao Adsul, called Modi a “great orator” and said that the speech was an “exhibition” of it. “Whatever projects, achievements he [Modi] listed out during the speech, were they not the government’s duty? It was not a favour on anybody,” Sawant said. “They are once again offering a maze of dreams to the people, but no sign of what was promised in 2014.”