Sena slams BJP for revoking Paricharak's suspension, calls it 'surgical strike'

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Saturday criticised its ally BJP for revoking the suspension of Prashant Paricharak, a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC), who had run into a controversy over his remarks about wives of soldiers in 2017.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party described the revocation as a "surgical strike" by the Maharashtra government on jawans and their families.

"The slogan 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisaan' has been humiliated in the present BJP regime. It is as if they have laid a red carpet welcoming Prashant Paricharak. The proposal to revoke his suspension should have been opposed by all the legislators like they had unanimously demanded his suspension," the party said in an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

Earlier this week, the Maharashtra government withdrew the suspension of Paricharak, who had made objectionable comments about the wives of soldiers.

He is reported to have said that soldiers at the borders distribute sweets when they have children even after staying away from home for longer periods.

He was suspended in March 2017 for his comments.

The BJP-backed MLC had later apologised for his remarks.

"Revoking Paricharak's suspension was a surgical strike by the Maharashtra government conducted on lakhs of serving and retired soldiers and their families. Disrespecting soldiers amounts to disrespecting Shivaji Maharaj but the BJP, drunk on power, does not realise this," the Sena alleged.

The Sena said the blood of soldiers at the borders is being spilled every day while the government keeps boasting about teaching Pakistan a lesson.

"However, the one who spoke ill about the families of soldiers is being accorded a red-carpet welcome," it said.

The Sena demanded to know "why were charges of being a traitor not slapped against Paricharak and why were different yardsticks applied to the police constable from Ahmednagar district who had forwarded a post against the prime minister".

"Constable Ramesh Shinde remains suspended while Paricharak is free. This is the height of shamelessness. Those who introduced the proposal (in the Legislative Council) to revoke Paricharak's suspension and those who supported it have no right to take Shivaji's name anymore," the Sena said.