Sena slams BJP on situation in J&K, WB

A day after the much-talked-about meeting between Amit Shah and Uddhav Thackeray, the Shiv Sena on Monday lashed out at the BJP over the emerging situation in Jammu & Kashmir and West Bengal.

In editorials in Saamana, the Marathi organ and Dopharka Saamana, its Hindi tabloid version, Thackeray, who is also the managing editor of both the newspapers, the party indirectly criticised the Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for issuing a threat of mid-term polls and the Shah endorsing it.

“Amit Shah says if mid-term polls are held in Maharashtra, they will win hands down… They can also win the Presidential elections. But who will win the war in Jammu & Kashmir?” the editorial asks on the day the Shiv Sena celebrates its 51st foundation day.

Expressing serious concerns over the renewed spate of terror in J&K and the violence revived in West Bengal’s Darjeeling, the Sena said these heavenly places on earth are currently passing through a bad spell, but ‘some people’ are more eager about winning mid-term elections in Maharashtra.

 “We wish them all the best… we are not perturbed about winning or losing mid-term elections in Maharashtra… Our greatest worry is whether J&K will remain on the map of India in the long-run,” the editorial said.

It said that BJP was it is backing (J&K chief minister) Mehbooba Mufti, who in turn, keeps making reckless statements. "No one is speaking about that," it said. 

On the issue of stone-pelting in Darjeeling and demand for Gorkhaland, the editorial said:  "One may have political differences with (West Bengal Chief Minister) Mamata Banerjee but nobody should try to take political advantage of the situation there..."