Don't politicise Shivaji's name, Shiv Sena warns BJP

Mumbai: Days after the BJP’s laid the foundation stone of the Shivaji memorial in an extravagant manner, the Shiv Sena has warned the party against playing politics by using the Maratha warrior king’s name. The Sena, in its mouthpiece Saamana, said that those claiming “ownership” over Shivaji Maharaj would be ruined.

While appreciating Prime Minister Narendra Modi paying tribute to Shivaji Maharaj last week, the Sena also pointed out that there was no need to tell Maharashtra’s citizens about Shivaji. Taking a dig at the BJP, the Sena said, “Was it the Shivaji memorial ceremony or BJP’s election campaign? The memorial should not get stuck in selfish politics.”

The party voiced its displeasure at BJP supporters chanting “Modi, Modi” when Shiv Sainiks were chanting “Jai Bhavani, Jai Shivaji” during the public meeting addressed by the PM, which was also attended by Sena president Uddhav Thackeray. “While Sainiks and Shivaji fans were chanting slogans hailing the Chhatrapati, BJP workers were shouting slogans in the name of Modi. Can anyone compare himself to Shivaji? Modi himself will not approve of this,” the Sena said.

In a thinly-veiled attack on the PM for wishing his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on his birthday amidst the chill in relations between the two countries, the Sena invoked Chhatrapati Shivaji saying that the Maratha king never extended such greetings to “enemies of the nation”.