Shiv Sena chief hails Amit Shah’s Jammu and Kashmir move, says all well with BJP

Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray has hailed Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s initiatives on Kashmir.
BJP chief Amit Shah (R) and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray (L). | (File | PTI)
BJP chief Amit Shah (R) and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray (L). | (File | PTI)

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray has hailed Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s initiatives on Kashmir. He also clarified that there are no differences of any kind between the Sena and the BJP over any issues, including the cabinet portfolio or the post of deputy speaker in the Lok Sabha which his party is eyeing.

“If it (Shah’s initiatives) gets Kashmir a Hindu chief minister and enables the return of Pandits to the Valley, it would surely be of great service to the nation,” Thackeray said, referring to the process of delimitation of assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir initiated by Shah, during an interaction with reporters at Kolhapur on Thursday.

He also said that the Sena has joined the central government in the quest of furthering its Hindutva agenda and not for a share of power and pelf. He also said that he was satisfied that the party got a single berth in the union cabinet and added that their demands (including the deputy speaker’s post) should not be interpreted as a sign of disgruntlement.

“Expressing a wish or demanding something does not mean that we are upset with the BJP. We have formed this alliance on the principles of Hindutva and not for the sake of merely securing two or four Union Cabinet berths,” Thackeray said.

He also said that Sena’s alliance with the BJP in the state was very strong.  “We have sorted out the seat-sharing arrangement. The media need not worry or speculate about it. All parties in the BJP-Sena Mahayuti (alliance) will have their due share of seats as part of the arrangement,” he said.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com