Samajwadi Party quits MVA over Sena's stand on Babri demolition
The Samajwadi Party (SP) has pulled out of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance in Maharashtra. The decision came after a controversial social media post by Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray's close aide Milind Narvekar on the 32nd anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition. The post featured a photograph of the demolition and a quote from Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray saying, "I am proud of those who did this."
SP chief cites controversial post as reason for withdrawal
Abu Azmi, the Maharashtra chief of the SP, told Hindustan Times that Narvekar's post was a major reason why the party left the alliance. Azmi also pointed out issues in the MVA during seat sharing and campaigning, adding that after their recent defeat, Thackeray asked his party to go for an aggressive Hindutva agenda. "An advertisement was [also] given by Shiv Sena (UBT) in a newspaper congratulating those who demolished Babri masjid....We cannot tolerate this," Azmi said in separate interviews.
Post that sparked controversy
SP questions MVA's integrity, discusses decision with party president
Azmi further questioned the alliance's integrity by asking, "If anyone in the MVA speaks such language, what is the difference between the BJP and them? Why should we stay with them?" The Samajwadi Party has two seats in the Maharashtra Assembly. On Saturday, while other MVA parties skipped an oath-taking ceremony over alleged misuse of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the assembly elections, Samajwadi Party leaders Azmi and Rais Shaikh attended.
