Shelar takes on Uddhav over backing Kanhaiya
City BJP president and MLA Ashish Shelar has criticised Uddhav Thackeray here on Monday over issue of backing JNU Students Union leader Kanhaiya Kumar.
“How can Shiv Sena support Kanhaiya Kumar, who is being prosecuted for holding a programme to mourn on death anniversary of terrorist Afzal Guru?” Shelar asked.
Thackeray had yesterday criticised the Union government saying that “youth resentment can’t be branded anti-national”.
Replying to Thackeray’s comments, Shelar pointed out that sedition charges against Kanhaiya were not levied for his criticism of the Union government, but for anti-national sloganeering at JNU at a programme organised to mourn the death anniversary of terrorist Afzal Guru.
“Afzal was hanged for his involvement in the attack on Parliament. How can Shiv Sena support someone who hails Afzal? What has caused this 360 degree ideological shift in the Shiv Sena’s stand?” Shelar asked.
Meanwhile, in what can be interpreted as the beginning of the campaign for the municipal corporation elections next year, the city BJP has planned to celebrate the Maharashtra statehood day on a huge scale in the city this year.
“We have planned some programmes in all the 227 municipal wards. These include health camps, blood donation camps, road shows, and cultural programmes till late night on May 1. BJP as a party has been celebrating Maharashtra’s statehood day for a long time. This year it is on a bigger scale,” he said.
“What has caused this 360 degree ideological shift in the Shiv Sena’s stand?”