Shiv Sena: Keeping Congress away will strengthen fascists

MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena has taken strong exception to West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s declaration of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) being over in the country. Sena said in its Saamana editorial that opposition parties need the UPA, and keeping the Congress away will be like strengthening fascists in the country.

The Sena also urged Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to come forward and clarify what they intend to do with the UPA. “Although it is true that in West Bengal, she (Mamata) finished the Congress, the left and the BJP, doing politics by keeping Congress away from national politics is like strengthening today’s state with a fascist tendency,” said Sena and expressed their concern,

“One can understand that (PM) Modi and the BJP want the Congress to be over. It is part of their agenda. But, if those fighting the Modi government and the BJP also feel the same, then it is a concern.”

Senior Sena leader Sanjay Raut said that Banerjee’s statement in Mumbai earlier this week about “NO-UPA” left in the country was valid but a coalition or a front without the Congress party is politically not viable.

“Mamata ji’s question on UPA’S existence is valid. Even Uddhav ji [Thackeray] has said in the past that the UPA should be strengthened and it should become more aggressive. We have to weigh the pros and cons of forming a new front in 2024. In the past, we have seen the third front but it has benefitted BJP in the end. So we think that the UPA must be strengthened... Keeping Congress out of the front is politically not appropriate,” Raut said.

He also gave an example of MVA which has ideological differences with others yet, they came together to keep Bharatiya Janata Party out of the state. “We have had differences with Congress and NCP, but we all came together to keep BJP out. If Mamata thinks that Congress should not lead the UPA, a solution can be found over discussion,” said Raut.