Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take aim at ally Shiv Sena, which has criticised the BJP government’s demonetisation decision, in a public meeting in Mumbai’s Somaiya ground on Saturday.
While Mr Modi will be in Mumbai on Saturday to inaugurate Metro projects of Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) at the Somaiya ground, the BJP is planning it to convert it into a public meeting.
BJP leaders confirmed the same, claiming that it’s high time the Sena is given a reply on its own turf, Mumbai.
Mumbai BJP spokesperson Niranjan Shetty said, “There is an event of Prime Minister Narendra Modiji in Somaiya ground. The plan is to convert the event into a public meeting where for the first time Modiji will be talking about the demonetisation issue, about which so much fuss is being made here in Mumbai.”
A senior BJP leader claimed that this would be a direct reply to the Sena, which has been talking and even siding with the opposition on the issue.
“The Shiv Sena is part of the government both in the Centre as well as in state, but still it has stood against the BJP on this issue. This isn’t good politics, we were expecting a mature response from them. But then via this public meeting we will give them a proper reply,” said the leader.
The event actually is a state government event, being organised by the MMRDA for the inauguration of Metro projects. However, the BJP is trying to make it a political event, but it isn’t yet clear how they will be doing it.
“The meeting of leaders for the preparation for the public meeting has already started and we will hold it at Somaiya grounds where the MMRDA event is going to take place,” said Mr Shetty.
The Shiv Sena on Wednesday along with West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee met the President on the demonetisation issue and argued against the government’s move.
Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray had spoken to the Trinamool Congress chief on the same over phone and extended his support over the issue.
