Two days after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee slammed the Congress , questioning the existence of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) during her Mumbai visit, the Shiv Sena on Saturday said keeping the Congress away from national politics would mean strengthening fascist powers.
“Mamata held political meetings in Mumbai. Her politics is not pro-Congress. She eliminated the Congress, the Left and the BJP from Bengal. Despite that, playing politics by keeping the Congress out of national politics would mean helping fascist powers,” said an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamna .
The editorial further added that one can understand the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi wishing the end of the Congress as their agenda.
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“It will be dangerous if those who are fighting Modi and identical trends are wishing the same. The Congress’s fall in the last 10 years is undoubtedly worrying. But plans to stop the Congress from rising up and capture its place are risky,” the editorial added.
The editorial claimed that unless the Congress crossed 100 seats in the Lok Sabha it would not change the scenario at the national level.
“Mamata Banerjee’s question on UPA is a million dollar one. But, similarly, even the NDA is not in existence today. Modi’s party does not need NDA, but the Opposition needs UPA. Forming a parallel front to UPA is like strengthening the BJP,” the editorial said, adding that the UPA can be pushed ahead by keeping differences with the Congress intact.
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Commenting on the leadership of the UPA, the editorial said that the work being done by Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi was the real work of the Opposition. “Leadership of the UPA will be decided in time to come, but it is important to raise the option first,” it said.
Ms. Banerjee, during her visit to Mumbai, had met the Sena’s Aaaditya Thackeray and Sanjay Raut. She could not meet Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray due to his health problems.
The editorial also slammed the G-23 leaders within the Congress, questioning if any of those leaders did anything to improve the situation of the Congress. “Each and every person in this group enjoyed power through the Congress. What did they do to improve the party’s situation? Isn’t it an excellent coincidence that the BJP’s wish of the Congress not doing well in 2024 is echoed by these leaders?” it noted.