Sena takes part in Oppn rally against bullet train project
Instead of spending money on such moneyguzzling projects, it makes sense to invest in the existing railways lines which would help the journey of local commuters make more comfortable. NEELAM GORHE, Shiv Sena spokesperson
MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena, an ally of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Maharashtra, attended a rally with Opposition leaders against the government’s proposed bullet train project in the state.
The Sena’s decision to join leaders from the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Communist Party of India (Maoist) at the protest in Palghar comes after weeks of a high-pitched battle with its ally for over an assembly seat in the district. While the Sena — which fielded its own candidate — lost the election to the BJP, it appears to be firm about not allying with it for the 2019 general elections.
While party president Uddhav Thackeray was not at the rally, the Sena sent its spokesperson, Neelam Gorhe. “It was Uddhavsaheb who had already declared his opposition to this project when a delegation of villagers had called him on May 18,” Gorhe said at the rally, and added that the Sena president had been steadfast in his opposition to the bullet train project.
“Instead of spending money on such money-guzzling projects, it makes sense to invest in the existing railways lines which would help the journey of local commuters make more comfortable,” she said.
While senior Congress leader and former Union minister of environment and forests, Jairam Ramesh, was also scheduled to attend the rally, he later asked a local Congress leader to represent the party.
Gorhe also said the residents of the 73 villages in Palghar that will be affected by the project were not taken into confidence by the National High Speed Rail Corporation before it went ahead with the ₹1.10 lakh crore project. The corporation will buy around 1,400 hectares for the project, and thousands of tribal people will lose their livelihood, Gorhe said.
CPI(M) leader Ashok Dhawale, who was one of the main organisers of the meeting, said his party had invited all political parties, except the BJP, to take part in the rally.
“It makes no sense to call the BJP, as it is the only party that wants the bullet train to come at any cost,” Dhawale said. MUMBAI: Continuing to target its long-standing ally Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), the Shiv Sena on Sunday said it is BJP’S ‘biggest political enemy’ and the latter’s defeat in the 2019 general election is inevitable.
Reiterating that the Uddhav Thackeray-led party would contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections solo, Sena MP Sanjay Raut, wrote in Saamana that his party’s “radical Hinduism” may prove to be the biggest hurdle for the BJP in the future.
“The BJP has been using Sena for its own benefits and has the policy of the doing away with us whenever possible. The BJP has been attempting to weaken us by using power and money. The BJP used its resources to defeat Sena candidate,” Raut said in his column in the party mouthpiece.
The BJP, however, maintained that it does not take attacks by its allies seriously. “We have clarified that the BJP wants likeminded parties to stay together for the general elections. If the Sena concedes to join hands, they will be on-board; otherwise we are all set to face the elections without them. In politics, we do not see anybody as the enemy, not even the Congress,” said state BJP chief Raosaheb Danve.