PM pays tribute to Bal Thackeray, faces Shiv Sena taunt

New Delhi: As the deadlock continues over seat-sharing formula between allies BJP and Shiv Sena for the upcoming crucial BMC elections, the latter used the birth anniversary of its late supremo Bal Thackeray to hurl a taunt at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the late leader never boasted of a “56-inch chest” but the nation’s enemies were scared by his very name. Meanwhile, paying tributes to the late Shiv Sena founder on his 91st birth anniversary, Mr Modi said he “personified courage” and had emerged as a voice for the aspirations of many people. Sena also reminded that Thackeray had stood by Mr Modi when the BJP had plans to remove him as the Gujarat chief minister after the 2002 post-Godhra riots.

“Balasaheb Thackeray personified courage and emerged as a voice for the aspirations of many people. Tributes to him on his birth anniversary,” Mr Modi tweeted.

While the BJP is a senior partner in the Maharashtra coalition government, headed by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Sena has a dominance in the Mumbai civic body whose elections are scheduled next month. Cadres of both parties favour going separately in the BMC polls. Sena also released its manifesto for the BMC polls on Monday.  

An editorial in Sena mouthpiece Saamana said that after the 2002 riots, the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was about to oust Mr Modi from the post of Gujarat chief minister, but it was Balasaheb who staunchly backed him then. “It was very courageous of Balasaheb to support Mr Modi at the time.”

“The (late) Sena supremo never revealed the size of his chest but Pakistan and enemies of the nation got jittery by the mention of his mere name. He was an invisible force that kept extremist forces at bay,” Sena said.

In the run up to the 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign, Mr Modi had famously claimed at an election rally in Uttar Pradesh that a “56-inch chest” can solve problems faced by the country.

The Sena also said the country is in a “pitiable state” now with the ruling dispensation refusing to speak about the problems being faced by people and only keeps making new announcements.

“The (late) Sena supremo was firm on his ideals. He did not believe in duping people in the name of democracy,” it said.