MUMBAI: Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray has not been invited to any of the Make in India Week events to be held here where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will preside, including a gala dinner on February 13. He will be a part of other programmes.
Modi is arriving in Mumbai tomorrow to inaugurate the 'Make in India' event at the MMRDA grounds in the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) followed by an event at the National Sports Club (NSC) ground in Worli.
He will preside over a dinner in evening at the Mahalaxmi race course.
Maharashtra chief secretary Swadheen Kshatriya said around 800 dignitaries from the country and abroad have been invited to the dinner.
The guests include prime ministers from various countries, industrialists, select politicians and top government officials.
When asked about Thackeray's exclusion from the dinner, a senior Shiv Sena leader, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said, "Uddhavji has not been invited to the dinner. The times have changed. During Atalji's tenure (as prime minister), (the late Shiv Sena president) Balasaheb (Thackeray) used to be invited and they used to dine together."
A BJP leader protocol conditions came in the way of an invitation to the Shiv Sena boss.
"There will be guests from foreign countries like PMs of countries and business tycoons. It was not protocol to invite Uddhav Thackeray. Moreover, the dinner is being organised by the Confederation of India Industry (CII). It's not a political function," he said.
Meanwhile, a press release from the Maharashtra chief minister's office said Thackeray has been asked to three programmes.
He will be the chief guest at Maharashtra Rajani, a cultural programme at Girgaum Chowpatty on February 14, and the Maharashtra pavilion on February 15.
Thackeray will be a guest in a panel discussion on 'Make in Mumbai' on the concluding day on February 18.