The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday criticised Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray after he endorsed Congress president Rahul Gandhi for the Prime Minister’s post, asking him whether his ‘script writer’ in Baramati would approve of this.
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“He should first consult Sharad Pawar as to whether he approves of Mr. Gandhi’s endorsement for the PM’s post. If he fails to do so, all the scripts coming from Baramati for the next rallies will be cut off,” State Education Minister Vinod Tawde said. The minister was hinting at recent news reports, which had put Mr. Pawar in the race for PM in case an alliance government comes at the Centre. Mr. Tawde taunted the MNS saying it has come to the point where it will campaign for a person like Sanjay Nirupam who had abused Mr. Thackeray. “I pity the MNS workers as they will now have to work for Mr. Nirupam, who once had abused Mr. Thackeray. This is nothing but atrocious,” the minister said.
Mr. Nirupam is contesting the general election from Mumbai North West. He never enjoyed a cordial relationship with the MNS due to the party’s anti-migrant stand in Mumbai. It was Mr. Nirupam who vehemently opposed inclusion of Mr. Thackeray in the Opposition front.
Mr. Thackeray at his Gudi Padwa rally in Shivaji Park, Dadar, on Saturday evening, indirectly supported Mr. Gandhi as the next Prime Minister. “We tried out Mr. Modi in 2014 and he turned out to be a big disaster. Our country now finds itself at the bottom of a pit. We have Mr. Gandhi; we can try him and see. If it is going to happen, then it will be good for the country or not,” Mr. Thackeray had said.
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Slamming the MNS chief over his presentations of Mr. Modi’s policies and his critique over it, Mr. Tawde said had Mr. Thackeray worked hard for his own party, then he would not have been campaigning for others. “His engine is closed, and he is now trying to connect it to someone else to make it work,” the minister said.