Shiv Sena attacks Modi, burns Amit Shah, Ashish Shelar effigies

Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi over promises he had made prior to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the Shiv Sena asked how many citizens had received Rs 15 lakh in their bank accounts in the last two years. Meanwhile, Sena party workers burnt effigies of BJP president Amit Shah and Mumbai unit president Ashish Shelar in Mumbai.

Shiv Sena, in an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamana on Tuesday, said, “Bringing back black money was the first promise Modi made prior to the elections. Recently, in his radio programme Mann ki Baat, he warned those who had stashed money abroad to come clean or face the heat. This means that the snake is still in its hole and refuses to come out.”

“Before the (Lok Sabha) polls, Modi had said black money worth around Rs 2 lakh crore was stashed away in foreign banks and had promised Rs 15 lakh in the bank account of each citizen. After two years in power, how much of it has been brought back ” the editorial said.

The editorial asked BJP leaders to answer these questions on the radio. “Mann ki Baat is like hot tea and, in a bid to attract listeners, several areas in Mumbai had been given free tea. The country is undergoing a change. We do not want free tea we want the Rs 15 lakh that was promised in our bank accounts,” the Sena said.

“It said that the election system stands on black money. It isn’t only businessmen, film stars or terrorist organisations that deal with black money.

Politicians are part of the system too. That explains why every party wants businessmen to work with them. One does not need to scout Switzerland or Mauritius to reclaim black money, and Modi can succeed in his mission if he unearths black money that is circulating within the country,” the Sena said.

Meanwhile, Shiv sainiks burnt an effigy of Mr Shah and Mr Shelar at CST. Mr Shelar, when asked about his reaction, declined to comment. On the other hand, BJP state president Raosaheb Danve said the issue would be sorted out within a couple of days. “We will speak with the Sena leadership and sort out this issue,” he said.

According to a BJP insider, party leaders have given instructions to workers not to react to Sena’s protest. Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will be returning to the city on Tuesday night and it is expected that BJP and Sena leaders will meet to iron out differences.