‘Bhakts to cause Modi’s downfall’

Incensed by pro-Narendra Modi slogans at a party-controlled BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) function on Wednesday, the Shiv Sena on Friday said “Modi bhakts (supporters)” would lead to his fall just like that of late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi led to hers.

The Sena’s latest outburst was triggered by pro-Modi slogans of the BJP corporators renting the air during a cheque-handing ceremony at the BMC headquarters on Wednesday.

In the function, Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar had handed over a cheque of the first tranche of the goods and services tax (GST) compensation to the civic body on Wednesday.

"Today, those who are unnecessarily shouting proModi slogans, are actually maligning his image. There was a time when the slogans in the name of Indira Gandhi were chanted too. Her ‘bhakts’ had insulted the nation by shouting slogans like ‘Indira is India’ and that insult triggered a spark of revolution which culminated into her defeat,” the Sena said in an editorial in the party mouthpiece Saamana. Sena said one should understand the difference between being proud of Narendra Modi and being frenzied about it.

“The truth is that Indira Gandhi not only won the war against Pakistan in 1971, but also made Pakistan go down on their knees, by dividing that country. We want to tell the BJP leadership that Gandhi still lost and that was because of the excessive ‘Indira bhakti’ (worship) displayed by her supporters,” the edit said.