BJP meet may take call on Shiv Sena ties today

MUMBAI: Senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday ventured where few have in the recent past, reminding Narendra Modi about his Godhra past while countering his criticism of the Sena's role in the recent controversies in Mumbai. The country first came to know of him (Modi) because of the Godhra carnage, Raut said. The BJP, officially, was muted in its response. Senior BJP leaders are meeting on Thursday morning, ostensibly to discuss the party's programme to mark the completion of its first year in office, but party leaders said the question of whether to snap ties with the Sena or continue with the alliance might come up. TOI, in its edition dated October 12, had reported how Sena-BJP ties were at break-point because of serious differences over several issues. In an interview to a Bengali daily, Modi had termed the Dadri lynching and the Sena's attacks on Pakistani singer Ghulam Ali's concert and ORF Mumbai chairman Sudheendra Kulkarni for hosting former Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Kasuri as "unfortunate". "Modi made a statement as the prime minister of the country and not as Narendra Modi. It is indeed unfortunate for all of us that Modi, whom the world came to know because of Godhra, called both incidents unfortunate. He is not our 'Dear' Modi," said Raut, executive editor of Saamna, the Sena mouthpiece. "Pakistan is our enemy. To oppose Pakistani leaders, artistes and players is our stand as they kill our innocent people in bomb blasts, also kill our soldiers on the border and they support terrorist activities in Kashmir. This was the stand of the BJP, too, earlier. We have stuck to our stand and not changed it and will never change it. It is our pure patriotism and not a political stand and we will not backtrack from it," said Raut. Both the Sena and the BJP sought to underplay Raut's comments later. A party functionary close to Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray clarified that Raut had said that "the PM's remarks on the boycott of Pak nationals in India were unfortunate during the time of unease on the LOC and the constant terrorist attacks". State BJP president Raosaheb Danve told TOI that the party was not taking a serious note of Raut's statements. "We are not giving importance to his statement as he is known for making these type of statements," said Danve. State food and civil supplies minister and senior BJP leader Girish Bapat said, "There is difference of opinion with them (Sena) but there is no difference of heart." TOI