Mumbai:Â Reacting to recurring reports over his silence on the breaking of the 25-year-old alliance with the Shiv Sena, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said he will not say even a single word against Shiv Sena as he has immense respect for its founder Balasaheb Thackeray.
“There are a few things which are above politics. I have immense respect for Balasahab Thackeray. These are the first polls in the state after he passed away. As a mark of respect for him, I will not speak a word against Shiv Sena,” Modi said.
Referring to the losses of Balasaheb and BJP leaders Pramod Mahajan and Gopinath Munde, Uddhav Thackeray had said, “It is not as if there had been no difference in the past 25 years. People knew how far to stretch it. But now there is a new generation of leaders.”
At the same time, the Prime Minister made it clear that alliance politics had let Maharashtra down and the people should give a clear mandate to BJP – as in the Lok Sabha elections.Â
“Never let a coalition government rule Maharashtra. Your problems so far were caused by alliance politics. So help us win with a huge majority and ask me a report card of our work after five years,” Modi said.Â
Launching a personal attack on Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, Modi said he was ashamed at the way Pawar was using Shivaji’s name for his politics. He also highlighted that how despite serving as the chief minister and the agriculture minister, he failed to resolve the water woes of the people of Maharashtra.
“I am ashamed at how Sharad Pawar is using Shivaji maharaj’s name. He has cheated the people of Maharashtra,” he said. His statements against Pawar come at a time when there were strong rumours that he was responsible for the divorce between Shiv Sena and BJP. There have also been rumours that BJP might tie up with NCP in the polls.
Addressing a rally at Tasgaon, Sangli, he urged the people to vote for BJP with a massive majority in Maharashtra just like at the Centre in the Lok Sabha polls.