MUMBAI: Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday claimed that his party is functioning as a corrective force by being part of governments at the Centre and in Maharashtra to "control" anti-people policies. The comments came as local body polls for the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation ensue in Mumbai.
The Sena has deviated from its alliance with the BJP in the upcoming elections. However, it has not yet withdrawn support from the State government. Thackeray said: "We have seen that if power is not controlled, it becomes uncontrollable.
Being in the government we tried to keep (the BJP) in control." "While being a part of the government, Sena opposed many policies that were anti-India and anti-people and today those policies are stuck. Be it the Land Acquisition Bill or the GST Bill, we made them make the necessary amendments," he said in the final part of his interview to Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana'.
Thackeray quipped that if Prime Minister Narendra Modi chooses to hold any election rally in the city for the upcoming Brihamumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls, the Shiv Sainiks will go and respectfully invite him to be a part of Sena's victory celebrations on February 23. "Modiji had to conduct 23 rallies in the State during Assembly polls to win. This time, even if he comes, the Sena will win. We want him to be a part of our celebrations," the Sena leader said.
He said that the "alliance with the BJP actually got over during the 2014 Assembly polls itself." "They had deceived us in the name of talks. The Lok Sabha polls had just finished then, there was a 'Modi wave' but no demonetisation. So they (the BJP) thought the Sena would not get more than 15-20 seats.
But we proved them wrong by winning 63 seats (in Maharashtra Assembly polls)," he said. Meanwhile, reacting to Thackeray's comments, MPCC secretary Al Nasser Zakaria alleged that the Sena chief is indulging in "white lies" and it is the "sweetness" of power that keeps him glued to it. "It is absurd of him to say he is doing the job of the Opposition parties.
He thinks he can indulge in white lies and people will quietly listen. The truth is that the sweetness of power will keep him glued to it and they will not withdraw support despite being shamed everyday by the BJP," the Congress leader said.