After Shah speaks about 'going solo', Uddhav Thackeray hits back
In what is another proof of 'frenemy' relationship between Shiv Sena and BJP, Uddhav Thackeray on Monday said his party was friends with the public, and not with a specific party. This statement comes hours after it was reported that Amit Shah asked Maharashtra workers to prepare for 2019 elections without Shiv Sena. Sena's indecisiveness on the no-confidence motion against NDA reportedly miffed BJP.
Shah told workers to prepare for battle
Addressing party workers in Mumbai on Sunday, Shah said they must be prepared for a three-way or even a four-way battle as the party plans to contest elections alone. "You should start preparing now so that in your booths 51 per cent voters vote for BJP," the BJP President reportedly told booth workers. Notably, the party hasn't given an official statement.
Thackeray's statement can be seen as a reply to Shah
In an interview, Uddhav Thackeray said, "We don't have only one friend. We are friends of the public." Interestingly, Sena has several times said they will contest Lok Sabha elections alone. Terming BJP's brand of Hindutva 'fake', Thackeray questioned rising incidents of mob-lynching. "In this country, cows are safe but women are not," the Sena chief said.
Gau-mata is safe, mata not, said Thackeray
"We (Shiv Sena) never said cows should be slaughtered. But while protecting cows, India has become the most unsafe country for women. One should be ashamed of it. You want to save 'gau-mata' (cow) but what about 'mata' (mother)," said Thackeray. "I criticize the government if it is taking any wrong steps. I cannot take the appeasement route to woo them (BJP)," he added.
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Will BJP and Shiv Sena finally part ways?
Now that both parties have complained about each other openly (sort of), will they take different paths next year? No one knows. And with Sena and BJP, one can never be really sure. Their hate and affection towards each other oscillate more than a pendulum.
