Sena mounts fresh offensive against BJP over demonetisation

 Shiv Sena today escalated its broadside against the BJP over demonetisation with party chief Uddhav Thackeray saying the senior ally should stop branding people as partiots or anti-nationals as per its "whims and fancies".

The hard hitting remarks by the Sena came when it took strong exception to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's statement that those opposing the move are harming the country.

Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' came out with yet another stinging editorial, holding that the currency scrapping exercise has failed to unearth the "real" black money and that it only helped the government deflect attention from burning issues like hunger, inflation and unemployment.

"You do not need to teach patriotism to people who are distressed and quietly standing in queues. Their hard earned money is being used for all works in the country. Thus, you (the BJP) should not label people as patriots or anti- nationals as per your whims and fancies," Thackeray told reporters at his residence 'Matoshree' in suburban Bandra.

Fadnavis, while addressing a civic election rally at Ratnagiri recently, had said those opposing Prime Minister Narendra Modi on demonetisation were harming the country and people should come together to win this decisive battle against black money.

On reports of Reserve Bank mulling opening of "Islamic window" in conventional banks for "gradual" introduction of Sharia-compliant or interest-free banking in the country, he wondered as to where the country was heading.

"You do not allow district co-operative banks to exchange old currency and on the other hand permitting Islamic banking. I do not understand where is our country headed towards," he said.

Thackeray further said that if demonetising Rs 500/Rs 1,000 bills could stop terrorism, the whole world should have adopted this model.

"If it were true that scrapping old currency would stop terrorism, the whole world should adopt this model as terrorism is a global evil and every country is at risk," he said.

While criticising the government over demonetisation, the Sena mouthpiece also took a dig at NCP supremo Sharad Pawar over his remarks on "financial emergency" in the country, saying that he should have made the comment in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi (when they met during an event at Pune recently).

"Due to the demonetisation decision, the government has been able to divert the attention of people from hunger, inflation, unemployment and terrorism. The government was successful in making people forget important national issues," an editorial in 'Saamana' said.

"Not a single big fish has been seen standing in long queues to exchange their money. This means that the real black money has not yet come out and Modi's friends (supporters of the decision) will have to accept this," the NDA partner said.

Seizing on Pawar's remarks, the Sena said "It is hypocritical of Pawar to say there is financial emergency in the country, or Pawar would have made the comments in presence of Modi (in Pune). But indulging in bonhomie and then speaking against Modi outside is not good for the people."