Mumbai: Shiv Sena got another opportunity to attack its national ally, BJP, by raising questions over the announcement date for former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s death as August 16. The question was raised in the form of wondering in an editorial in the mouthpiece of the party “Saamna”, over the issue of BJP stalwart’s death by suspecting whether was it kept on hold due to the scheduled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day speech on August 15.
Mr. Raut is the editor of Saamna along with being a Rajya Sabha member and in the editorial, he did not gave any reasons for his doubts.
Mr. Vajpayee was declared dead at the age of 93 after a prolonged illness at the premier all India Institute of Medical Sciences, which also declared the time of the former prime minister as August 16.
“Rather than our people, our rulers should first understand what is ‘swarajya’ (self-rule). Vajpayee died on August 16, but from 12-13 August, his condition was deteriorating. To avoid national mourning and lowering of flag to half-mast on Independence Day, and also (as) Prime Minister Narendra Modi was to make his elaborate speech from the Red Fort, Vajpayee left this world on August 16 (or his death was announced),” Mr Raut said in an article in Marathi titled “What is Swarajya?”.
Past few years have seen the staunch ally of BJP turning its back when it comes to targeting the national ruling party through criticism over its actions. The Shiv Sena is in alliance with the party at the Central level of government as well as in Maharashtra state level politics and now it has claimed that it will contest the 2019 national election on its own.
In the Saamna article, Mr. Raut all accused the central government of “shielding” all those who challenged National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah in Srinagar for shouting “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Jai Hind” during a condolence meeting for Vajpayee.
“This new kind of freedom has now emerged,” the Sena MP charged.
He also scoffed at reports of terror plots in the run-up to Independence Day.
“When it is learnt that police have captured terrorists who had planned to carry out attacks in Delhi, it tells you that Independence Day is nearing,” Mr Raut said, who was slamming PM Modi’s foreign tours.
“It is true that welfare schemes are run on the tax which honest people pay. It is also true that Prime Minister’s foreign tours are funded by the same money, and thousands of crores are spent on advertisements from the same money. This is how the new ‘Swarajya’ is functioning,” the Sena leader wrote.
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