Sena and MNS not to take part in nationwide bandh on Thursday

Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray, late Sunday, said that his party will not participate in the September 20 nationwide bandh called by BJP-led NDA and Samajwadi Party against price rise and FDI in retail.

Earlier in the day in a street corner meeting, he urged senior political leaders of UPA like Mamata Banerjee, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Sharad Pawar to withdraw their support to the government on the same issue.

Another right wing party Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) also issued a release stating that the party would not be participating in the bandh.

Interestingly on Sunday afternoon, Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray held a meeting in the vicinity of the famous Siddhi Vinayak temple, in central Mumbai, Dadar on the price rise and FDI issue wherein he asked Trinamool Congress chief Banerjee to, “stop issuing threats. If you really feel strongly against the price rise and FDI in retail exterminating small business entrepreneurs...then come out from UPA government. Just simply withdraw your support. I am confident that this government made out of cards will simply topple.”

Talking in a vein similar to his father Bal Thackeray, the Shiv Sena scion scathingly told the gathering that if Nationalist Congress Party chief and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav had a modicum of empathy and feeling for the masses then they will simply stop their support to the UPA government.

“Going by their actions it seems, these leaders only have empathy towards themselves...I hope sense will prevail. The Congress-led government is on its last leg. All these antics of Congress shows that they have totally isolated themselves from the people and the UPA sand castle will be brought down by the people. I am sure of it,” Uddhav concluded.

However, during the street-corner meeting when asked about the party’s participation and preparation for the September 20 bandh, Uddhav said: “The decision will be taken only after consultations with party chief Bal Thackeray. The party, however, is certainly against price rise and FDI in retail.”

 Late Sunday evening, Uddhav hastily called a news conference and announced that on account of Ganesh Chaturthi, “the party has decided not to participate in the bandh.”