Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai)

BJP cartoon says CM’S speech for BKC rally written by Pawar

- HT Correspond­ent

MUMBAI : Ahead of chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s rally at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) on May 14, the Mumbai unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday released a cartoon depicting the Shiv Sena chief’s speech had been written by Nationalis­t Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar.

Sena hit back, saying Goddess Saraswati had always blessed the Thackerays, so they did not need any script.

The cartoon, posted on BJP’S official twitter handle, features Pawar and Thackeray with the NCP chief telling the CM in Marathi to memorise the script given by him and Thackeray replying in affirmativ­e. The conversati­on comes with teasers of old speeches by Bal Thackeray and Uddhav being telecast on a TV in front of Pawar. The cartoon has been released with the comment: ‘the entire Maharashtr­a knows this’.

The cartoon comes in the backdrop of the criticism by

Maharashtr­a Vikas Aghadi leaders that Maharashtr­a Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray’s speech for his April 2 rally at Shivaji Park was prepared by BJP. After Raj asserted his Hindutva agenda at the rally by announcing to oppose the loudspeake­rs on mosques, Sena, MNS, and BJP have been fighting to grab a piece of the Hindutva pie. Manisha Kayande, Sena spokespers­on, said, “BJP has been expressing its frustratio­n in every possible way. Goddess Saraswati has always blessed the Thackerays, so they do not need any script. Uddhav ji’s attacks are spontaneou­s, unlike the script that Fadnavis gets from Delhi. BJP writes scripts for Raj, [Gunaratna] Sadavarte, and the Ranas.”

 ?? ANI FILE PHOTO ?? CM to address the rally on May 14
ANI FILE PHOTO CM to address the rally on May 14

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