A day after Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray threatened to remove support from the alliance government in Maharashtra, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said his government would last for its full term of five years. However, he added that such “bickering” is bound to happen in a coalition government. Mr Fadnavis also took on the Shiv Sena on the issue of patriotism by referring to the invitation extended to Pakistani cricketer Javed Miandad by late Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray.
Mr Fadnavis was speaking at an interaction with reporters in the wake of completion of a year in office by the BJP government.
“Our government will complete its five-year term,” Mr Fadnavis asserted, adding, “I am confident Shiv Sena will continue to be part of the BJP-led government despite the recent war of words.” He also said the saffron alliance would contest the Mumbai municipal corporation election, to be held in 2017, together.
Referring to the recent verbal jousting between the alliance partners in the Kalyan-Dombivali municipal corporation elections, the chief minister explained both are two different parties and thus have different thinking and working styles. “We contested the assembly polls against each other last year but got mandate against Congress-NCP and thus are in the government,” Mr Fadnavis said, adding, “Had we got 20-22 seats more, the BJP would have been the only party in power.” He further said that bickering is bound to happen in a coalition government and “both of us understand this fact.”
The chief minister then took on his alliance partner for protesting against Pakistani ghazal singer Ghulam Ali performing in Mumbai, saying, “There cannot be a line to determine patriotism. Did Ghulam Ali ever give a statement against India In fact, he was supposed to pay tributes to late ghazal singer Jagjit Singh. If we become Pakistanis only by providing him security, then the people who hosted Javed Miandad at their home also become the same.”
He was referring to the invitation extended to Mr Miandad by late Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray at his Matoshri residence, Bandra in 2004.
Referring to calls to ban right wing outfit Sanatan Sanstha after its activist was arrested in connection with rationalist Govind Pansare murder, Mr Fadnavis said that the government would certainly ban the organisation if they found credible evidence against it.
