JOIN USThe war of words between Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray seemed to subside and an uneasy calm prevailed in the camps of the two saffron alliance partners on Saturday, the day the government completed one year.
In fact, Fadnavis got annoyed when asked whether the government or police were planning any action against Thackeray for incidents like threats that led to cancellations of concert of Pakistani ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali, blackening of face of Sudheendra Kulkarni, the chairman of Observer Research Foundation-Mumbai, for inviting Kurshid Mahmud Kasuri and arm-twisting BCCI chief Shashank Manohar to cancel his meeting with Pakistani counterpart Shahryar Khan, that was to take a call on resumption of cricketing ties for the two Asian neighbours.
“Do you have any proof (that Thackeray instigated it)…today you took his name, tomorrow you would say Narendra Modi…,” Fadnavis retorted, dismissing the question.
Future plans
Asked about the government and its fate, he said: “Today, the government completed one year, it’s a BJP-Shiv Sena alliance government….next year, on the same day, it would complete two years.”
When asked what was important for him, self esteem or government, Fadnavis said it was self-esteem. Asked about Thackeray’s comments, he said: “I have not heard”.
On the issue of writers returning the awards, the chief minister said: “They (writers) are free to criticise the government if something wrong is happening. They hold a mirror to the society through their writings. They inspire the society through their writings. If they return their awards, they achieve nothing. We appeal to them to take back the awards,” the chief minister said.