Mumbai: The Shiv Sena said Friday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray share brotherly ties and that it is the responsibility of the former to co-operate with his ‘younger brother’ who has taken charge of the state.
Apparently referring to the Centre, the Shiv Sena said Delhi should respect the decision made by the people of Maharashtra and take care that the stability of the state government is not bedeviled.
The Sena made the comments in its mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ as it latched onto wishes extended by Modi to Uddhav after he took oath as the chief minister Thursday evening.
Modi has in the past referred to Uddhav, who is also the Shiv Sena president, as his ‘younger brother’.
“Congratulations to Uddhav Thackeray Ji on taking oath as the CM of Maharashtra. I am confident he will work diligently for the bright future of Maharashtra,” the prime minister tweeted after Uddhav was sworn-in.
Responding, the Shiv Sena referred to Modi as ‘our prime minister’ and said he has wished Maharashtra attains speedy development under Uddhav’s leadership.
“The Centre will have to cooperate (with the state) for that (speedy development). The Centre will have to extend help to bring Maharashtra’s farmers out of their miseries,” the Shiv Sena said in the editorial of the Marathi daily.
“The BJP-Shiv Sena are sharing strained relations in Maharashtra politics, but Modi and Thackeray share brotherly ties. Hence, it is the responsibility of Shri Modi to cooperate with the younger brother from Maharashtra as the prime minister,” the editorial added.
The Shiv Sena maintained the prime minister does not belong to any single party, but the entire country.
“Delhi should respect the decision people of Maharashtra have taken and take care the stability of the state government is not bedeviled,” it said.
“Delhi is the capital of the country for sure. But Uddhav Thackeray, son of Balasaheb Thackeray who took firm stand all along that Maharashtra is not a slave of Delhi, has now become the chief minister. So, there is a surety that the government will have its spine intact,” said the editorial.
The Shiv Sena also hit out at the previous Devendra Fadnavis government in Maharashtra, of which it was a part, for ‘imposing’ over ‘Rs 5 lakh crore-debt’ on Maharashtra.
Uddhav is heading the ruling coalition, Maha Vikas Aghadi, a post-poll alliance between the three major non-BJP parties which took shape after declaration of Assembly poll results October 24.
PTI