Irked by the BJP’s repeated threats of imposition of President’s Rule, deployment of central probe agencies and its attempts to create communal tension, the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government on Sunday snubbed its erstwhile ally, indicating that it was prepared for a protracted political battle.
The rebuff was more than apparent with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray conspicuous by his absence at a function where Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the maiden Lata Mangeshkar Award.
The MVA government was represented by senior Shiv Sena Minister Subhash Desai but Thackeray chose to remain absent on the grounds that his name was not mentioned in the official invite. State Governor BS Koshyari and former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis were among those who were present.
Interestingly, the same day, Thackeray, along with his wife Rashmi and son Aaditya, chose to visit the home of 92-year-old Shiv Sainik, Chandrsabha Shinde, and felicitated her.
Shinde on Sunday participated in the sit-in protest at Matoshree against the Rana couple’s threat to recite Hanuman Chalisa and declared with aplomb in Pushpa-style that Shiv Sainiks will not bow down. Thackeray’s rare gesture was aimed at sending a strong signal to party cadres ahead of the BMC elections that he will continue to stand by them in good and bad times. Thackeray also signalled that despite assuming the post of chief minister, he has not distanced himself from the rank and file.
The BJP received yet another jolt when the state government invoked charges under the Sedition Act against MLA Ravi Rana and his MP wife Navneet who were arrested on Saturday by the Mumbai Police for allegedly promoting enmity between different groups. Incidentally, the Rana couple is known for its proximity to the BJP and its top leadership despite being elected as independents.
The police added the sedition charge against the couple for challenging the government machinery and spreading disaffection against it. Significantly, the sedition case was slapped just when PM Modi was in the city; ironically, the BJP has often come under attack for the misuse of the Sedition Act. The slapping of the sedition charges against the Rana couple is the first such instance in the recent past in Maharashtra.
Thackeray’s absence at the Mangeshkar function has exposed the widening rift between the Shiv Sena and the BJP, on one hand, and the trust deficit between the MVA government and the BJP dispensation at the Centre, on the other.
By invoking the draconian Sedition Act, the MVA government has yet again shown that it will not be cowed down and take recourse to a tit-for-tat policy against the BJP, as it can no longer tolerate the ‘’vendetta’’ politics.
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(With inputs from agencies)