Mumbai: In a jibe at RSS ideologue M G Vaidya over his remarks on dividing Maharashtra into four smaller states, the Shiv Sena today said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should consider him for the state's top honour 'Maharashtra Bhushan.'
"By asking for smaller states to be carved out of Maharashtra, he is only putting forth his view, which everybody has a right to do in a democracy. Many a times some people's love for Pakistan also keeps sprouting now and then," an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana' said.
"Vaidya should be invited to Mumbai and lauded for his views. Maharashtra Chief Minister should consider honouring this person, who has such great views, with a Maharashtra Bhushan award," the Sena said.
The Sena's comment slamming Vaidya, a former spokesperson of the RSS, comes in the backdrop of his speech in Nagpur last week, where he had reiterated his stand on the division of Maharashtra into four states.
"I am a pro-Vidarbha person and a separate Vidarbha should be carved out. Any state should not have a population of more than three crore. There should not be any need for protest for small states," Vaidya had said.
Vaidya had often advocated division of Maharashtra into Vidarbha, Marathwada including Khandesh, Konkan, and western Maharashtra and the official language of all these states would remain Marathi.
He had also suggested constitution a state reorganisation commission and each state should have restricted population.
The Sena, however, has vehemently opposed the idea of division of Maharashtra.
