Maharashtra Congress mocked Shiv Sena for muting its “aggressive” stand on Pakistan and getting ready to join the NDA government, saying that BJP had never cared about its ally’s views on how to deal with the neighbouring country.
“During the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s tenure, Shiv Sena opposed ceasefire with Pakistan and Vajpayee was critical of the Sena when he spoke in the Rajya Sabha,” Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said.
Sawant said Vajpayee had snubbed the Sena by saying that the party’s sentiments (on the subject of Pakistan) can be understood but it shouldn’t take its protest beyond a limit.
“The danger (to the ceasefire) is not so much from those opposed to it in Kashmir but from those demanding its withdrawal,” Sawant quoted Vajpayee as saying from the newspaper reports of the Rajya Sabha discussion.
“If this was the case during Vajpayee’s government, it is better not to talk about Shiv Sena’s stand under Modi’s stewardship,” Sawant said.
Sawant also said only four days ago Sena president Uddhav Thackeray had demanded snapping of cricket ties with Pakistan, but Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi went on to invite Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for his swearing-in.
“Uddhav Thackeray spoke of pressing the nuclear button (if Pakistan continued to support terrorism) in his statement yesterday. It was nothing but a poor attempt to cover up the Shiv Sena’s embarrassment,” the Congress spokesperson said.
