NAGPUR: Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday termed as a "big insult to all the martyrs" Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's comparison between the police crackdown on students of the Jamia Millia Islamia and the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
Fadnavis, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, also said that by "encouraging" such agitations, the Sena has shown that it can stoop low for "personal greeds".
The exchange of barbs between the BJP and the Sena over the JMI protests against the new citizenship law betrays the extent of damage in relations between two former allies.
Earlier in the day, Thackeray told reporters outside the Vidhan Bhawan here that an "atmosphere of fear" was being created with such actions.
"There is a deliberate attempt to create an atmosphere of unrest in society. The way police opened fire on students by forcefully entering the compound, it appeared like the Jalianwala Bagh massacre," he had said.
Reacting to it, Fadnavis tweeted, "Equating Jamia University incident with Jallianwala bagh massacre by CM Uddhav ji Thackeray is big insult to all the martyrs who have sacrificed their life for our Nation".
Fadnavis said the Sena has stooped low for personal greed.
"Entire Nation & Maharashtra wants to know if Uddhav ji agrees with these slogans? By promoting and encouraging such agitations, it is now very clear to what extent Shiv Sena has stooped down on compromises for personal greeds," the former chief minister said.
The Delhi-based university virtually turned into a battlefield on Sunday after police entered the campus and also used force, following protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act.
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place on April 13, 1919, when Acting Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer had ordered troops of the British Indian Army to fire their rifles into a crowd of unarmed Punjabi civilians in Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar, Punjab.
According to historical accounts, at least 400 people, including 41 children, were killed and over 1,000 were injured.