Tell people about Rafale ‘sin’: Uddhav to workers
MUMBAI: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, in a combative mode on Thursday, urged his party workers to inform people about the Rafale controversy.
In a rally in Raigad district, Thackeray was unsparing in his accusations against his ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying he was not ready to share the blame for the Rafale deal. “Sena workers should reach every household. People should be made aware of the Rafale scam. We are not ready to be part of this sin and hence, this needs be exposed,” he said.
The rally was part of the Maharashtra tour Thackeray has undertaken to visit and address all 48 Lok Sabha constituencies as part of the 2019 election campaign.
Thackeray’s attacks come close on the heels of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis stressing the need for the BJP and Sena to join hands for the polls. The Centre’s deal with French defence giant Dassault for the purchase of Rafale fighter jets ran into controversy with the Congress alleging it is a scam.
Though the Sena is an ally of the Bjp-led government and shares power both at the Centre and state levels, Thackeray has been raking this issue up to corner the BJP.
BJP leaders in Maharashtra refused to react to Thackeray’s accusations.
Thackeray, in his speech, also blasted the Centre for its “failure to construct the Ram Temple at Ayodhya”, stating that it was just a ladder used by the BJP to come to power.
Thackeray will be visiting Ayodhya on November 25. Although Thackeray has already declared the Sena would be going solo in the forthcoming polls, the BJP maintains that it will strike an alliance with its oldest ally.
Thackeray’s resentment with his ally dates back to 2014 when the BJP broke the alliance ahead of the assembly polls and scored more seats than the Sena.