Sena lashes out at Fadnavis for delaying Air India flight

An editorial in “Saamana” rebuked Mr. Fadnavis, questioning whether he would have gone to similar lengths to aid a disabled person.

After facing flak from the Opposition for >delaying a U.S.-bound Air India flight , Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is now under attack from his own saffron ally in the State, the Shiv Sena.

An editorial in the Sena mouthpiece Saamana sharply rebuked Mr. Fadnavis, questioning whether he would have gone to similar lengths to aid a disabled person.

Despite strenuous denials on part of the Chief Minister, an official email form Air India confirmed that the flight was delayed by 57 minutes after Mr. Fadnavis refused to leave without his Principal Secretary Pravin Pardeshi as the latter had forgotten to carry his old passport on which he was granted his valid U.S. visa.

“If such a person can flout all rules, then our latest security concern ought to emanate from the ‘VIP’ category. This issue is serious and needs thorough probing,” mocked the editorial, while trading barbs with Mr. Fadnavis.

While a belligerent Sena launching broadsides on the BJP on a rash of issues in recent days, the latest attack comes as no surprise given the notoriously fragile relationship of the two allies.

The Sena’s potshots echoed those of former Chief Minister and Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan, who said that if Mr. Fadnavis had indeed requested the delay, then he must apologise for it.