MUMBAI: A day after Shiv Sena ruled out the possibility of quitting the Maharashtra government, its ministers called on Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The move is considered a truce. All 10 Shiv Sena ministers led by Industries Minister Subhash Desai met Fadnavis after the Cabinet meeting. They informed the CM that Shiv Sena legislators were not happy with the government as they felt their recommendations pertaining to several government works were being overlooked.
“It was a courtesy call. We met the CM to discuss some subjects. It is a routine exercise,” Desai said. A source in the Shiv Sena said the meeting was an indication that senior ministers were not in a mood to break away from the government, as it was being speculated. “If they had some serious grievances they would not have called on the CM. Instead they would have raised the issue of dissent in the informal talk after the Cabinet meeting. It is clear that steps are being taken for a truce,” the source said.
Minister of State for Cooperation Dadaji Bhuse clarified that the Sena ministers had not received any order from party chief Uddhav Thackeray to tender their resignation letters. “If there are any such instructions from the party president, we shall complyin an instant,” he said. The development took place hours after Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut termed as “unfortunate” Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement that the controversy surrounding cancellation of Pakistani singer Ghulam Ali’s concert and their former Foreign Minister’s visit to the city was unfortunate. “The world knows Narendra Modi due to Godhra and Ahmedabad and we respect him for the same reason. If the same Narendra Modi has called it (the controversy) unfortunate then it is indeed unfortunate for all of us,” Raut said.