Sena to stay away from protest

MUMBAI : The Shiv Sena, which has participated in protests against spiralling fuel prices and inflation in the past, will stay away from Monday’s Bharat Bandh organised by the Opposition parties. However, the party has put up posters comparing fuel and cooking gas prices between 2015 and 2018, in a bid to attack its ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Sena leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said they will view the bandh “neutrally”. “Whenever there has been an issue related to inflation or skyrocketing fuel prices, the Sena has been with the people. Let the Opposition show their strength. We and the people of the country want to see their strength. After they fail, we will continue to support people,” he said.

The party has put up posters across Mumbai, taunting the BJP over its “acche din” slogan at a time when petrol and diesel prices have touched ₹87.89 and ₹77.09, respectively. Raut said fuel prices could soon reach ₹100 a litre. “Although we protested in the past, we don’t want to be seen with the Congress and NCP. Another view was that with Ganpati just a few days away, it could inconvenience a lot of Marathi people across the city and elsewhere,” the leader said.

Such a stand also means the Sena has not closed the option of aligning with the BJP ahead of the 2019 polls. In an indication that saffron allies are more aligned than they would like to show,chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will attend a function together on Monday to release a postal stamp of Siddhivinayak temple on the temple premises.