Author: Rajendra Aklekar
Publication: Hindustan Times
Date: March 21, 2009
Introduction: Uddhav rubbishes rumours of
pact with Sharad Pawar, says saffron parties are natural allies
In The first joint public meeting held by
the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena on Friday, both the parties
reaffirmed their coalition vows saying they were natural allies and the need
of breaking the alliance or scouting for other partners did not arise.
"Reports of our alliance with Nationalist
Congress Party (NCP) is pure gossip. The Sena and the BJP have been partners
for more than 20 years and will remain so," Shiv Sena's executive president
Uddhav Thackeray told a gathering of BJP and Shiv Sena party workers at a
function in Mumbai on Friday.
Rejecting the party's earlier efforts of getting
together with NCP and the delay over seat sharing with BJp, Thackeray said
it was due to delimitation.
"The changing area alignments due to
delimitation and Balasaheb's illness caused some delay in finalising the seats
and candidates," said Thackeray.
Giving a glimpse of Sena BJP combine's efforts
in making terrorism a campaigning issue, Thackeray lambasted Maharashtra's
Home Minister Jayant Patil.
"Who needs to know whether Kasab is healthy
or not Patil should spend more time in ensuring the safety of the common man,"
Thackeray said.
"Pakistani terrorists are playing havoc
with our country. We will not allow any Pakistani player to play in our sacred
land. Our home minister Jayant Patil should worry about the security of the
common man and not about the Indian Premier League," Thackeray added.
BJP leader Rajnath Singh said if the NDA combine
comes to power they would take the international community into confidence
and attack known terror camps in Pakistan.
- rajendra.aklekar@hindustantimes.com
