Maharashtra's former chief minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday came down heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for linking the Congress with the Muslim League (ML), charging that the BJP had a "better experience" with the ML than any other political party.
Speaking at a news conference called to launch a song for the party’s new symbol Mashaal (Flaming Torch), Uddhav dismissed Modi’s criticism that the Congress’ Lok Sabha poll manifesto carried the imprint of Muslim League and said: “The BJP has a better experience working with the Muslim League. During the pre-Independence i.e between 1940-42, Jan Sangh founder Shyamaprasad Mukherjee was against going with the Congress that was fighting for the country’s freedom. That’s why he teamed up with Muslim League in West Bengal and formed a government”.
“How can we forget RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat visited Masjid. Even Narendra Modi visited Masjid,” the Sena (UBT) chief said.
It may be recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while reiterating his charge that the Congress’ manifesto carried the imprint of Muslim League, had said in an election rally at Chandrapur in eastern Maharashtra on April 8: ““The Congress is indulging in the politics of divide and rule… Its manifesto carries the language of the Muslim League. Their MPs are talking about another partition of India. People from the INDI alliance are threatening to separate South India. The DMK party in the INDI alliance talks about ending Sanatan by calling it `dengue malaria' ”.
Heaping praise on the Congress’ Lok Sabha poll manifesto, Uddhav said: “The Congress has come out with a "good" and an "all-inclusive "poll manifesto. The manifesto has a lot of good things for Maharashtra. If need be, we will include more Maharashtra-centric issues in the manifesto”. Dwelling upon his party’s new manifesto, the Sena (UBT) president said: “Mashaal is not just a poll symbol. The anger within the people against the Modi government will burn like Mashal and it will reduce this dictatorial and ‘jumalebaazi’ Modi government to ashes in the Lok Sabha polls”.
