Sena taunts Modi on Bal Thackeray’s birth anniversary, PM pays tributes

Mumbai/New Delhi, January 23

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The birth anniversary of Bal Thackeray on Monday was used by Shiv Sena to hurl a taunt at Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the key BJP ally saying the late leader never boasted of a “56-inch chest” but the nation’s enemies were scared by his very name.

The Sena also said that Thackeray had stood by Modi when the BJP had plans to remove him as the Gujarat chief minister after the 2002 post-Godhra riots, in comments that came at a time when the possibility of a tie-up with BJP for the Mumbai city polls hit a virtual dead end.

The comments came even as Modi paid tributes to the Sena founder on his 91st birth anniversary, saying he “personified courage” and had emerged as a voice for the aspirations of many people.

“Balasaheb Thackeray personified courage & emerged as a voice for the aspirations of many people. Tributes to him on his birth anniversary,” Modi tweeted. Thackeray passed away on November 17, 2012.

An editorial in Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ said that after the 2002 riots the then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was about to oust Modi from the post of Gujarat chief minister but it was Balasaheb who staunchly backed him then.

“It was very courageous of Balasaheb to support Modi at the time.”        

“The (late) Sena supremo never revealed the size of his chest but Pakistan and enemies of the nation got jittery by the mention of his mere name. He was an invisible force that kept extremist forces at bay,” Sena said.

In the run up to the 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign, Modi had famously claimed at a poll rally in Uttar Pradesh that a “56 inch chest” can solve problems faced by the country.

The Sena also said the country is in a “pitiable state” now with the ruling dispensation refusing to speak about the problems being faced by people and only keeps making new announcements.

“The (late) Sena supremo was firm on his ideals. He did not believe in duping people in the name of democracy,” it said.

Sena, despite being partner of the BJP in Maharashtra and at the Centre, has been highly critical of the demonetisation decision, repeatedly attacking the government over the issue through its mouthpiece. — PTI