Can't wake up those who pretend to be asleep: CM

In a swift retort to Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, who had asked him to explain his “Saam, Daam, Dand, Bhed” advice to BJP cadres, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said he could only quote from the epic Mahabharata, wherein Lord Krishna tells Arjuna that 'one cannot wake up who pretends to be asleep'.

Fadnavis was addressing the media on the eve of voting in Palghar and Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha bypolls at Dadar office of the party on Sunday.

Replying to queries over his audio clip message to BJP cadres which was played out by the Sena chief at a rally, he reiterated that the clip was selectively edited, which was an insult to electoral democracy.

Fadnavis said, "I have handed over the 14-minute audio clip to the Election Commission and demanded that action be taken against me, if anything objectionable is found. If not, then action should be initiated against those who deliberately edited the clip and aired it."

Asked to comment whether the ties with the Sena were on the brink, chief minister remarked he would respond only after May 31, when the bypoll results are announced.

When asked to comment on Sena leader Sanjay Raut’s comments about him having an ego issue, Fadnavis quipped that he does not respond to remarks other than those emanating from Uddhav Thackeray. “The entire state knows who has an ego problem," he said. Replying to queries over Sena's criticism of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath garlanding a portrait of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj with his footwear on, Fadnavis said, “Do not try to teach the BJP or Yogi Adityanath about respecting Shivaji Maharaj. We in the BJP right from the days of Jana Sangh and much before the Sena was born, we have been worshipping Shivaji Maharaj."