MUMBAI: Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray has not been invited to any of the ‘Make in India’ week events to be held here, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will preside over, including the gala dinner of February 13, though he will be a part of other programmes.
Modi will arrive in Mumbai on Saturday to inaugurate the ‘Make in India’ event at the MMRDA grounds in Bandra Kurla Complex followed by an event at National Sports Club ground in Worli. He will preside over a dinner at Turf Club in Mahalaxmi Race Course.
Maharashtra Chief Secretary Swadheen Kshatriya said around 800 dignitaries from the country and abroad have been invited for the dinner.
The guests include Prime Ministers of various countries, industrialists, select politicians and top government officials.
When asked about Thackeray’s absence from the dinner, a senior Shiv Sena leader requesting anonymity said, “Uddhav ji has not been invited for the dinner. Times have changed. During Atal ji’s tenure (as PM), [late Sena chief] Balasaheb (Thackeray) used to be invited and they dined together.”
A BJP leader, however, said the chief of their ally party was not invited keeping in mind the protocol. “There would be guests from foreign countries like PMs of countries and business tycoons. It was not in the protocol to invite Uddhav Thackeray. Moreover, the dinner is organised by the Confederation of India Industry (CII) and is not a political function,” the leader said.
Meanwhile, the CM’s Office in a release said Thackeray will attend three programmes, as chief guest at Maharashtra Rajani on February 14, and for the Maharashtra pavilion on February 15. Thackeray will be a guest at a panel discussion on ‘Make in Mumbai’ on the concluding day on February 18.