Even as Maharashtra, the state worst affected by Coronavirus, is grappling to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, the ruling Shiv Sena on Friday, took a dig at the Maharashtra BJP’s agitation against the Uddhav Thackeray-led government on Friday, amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic saying that it will boomerang on the opposition party.

Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ in an article slammed state BJP president Chandrakant Patil for comparing the Maha Vikas Aghadi government’s handling of the pandemic with Kerala’s model.

“Looks like Patil hasn’t studied the Kerala model. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan doesn’t follow Centre’s guidelines and feels participating in video-conference meetings with Prime Minister Modi was a waste of time,” the editorial claimed.

Instead of protesting in Maharashtra, Chandrakant Patil and former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should instead stage their agitation in Kerala, the Marathi daily stated, taking a dig at the two senior BJP leaders.

There is a health emergency in the country and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is helming the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the article.

“If the opposition feels for the state and has any suggestions about fighting the pandemic, they should discuss it with the Chief Minister. Is the opposition party ashamed to do so or has it lost its self-confidence?” it questioned.

The editorial also highlighted the fact that although COVID-19 cases in the state were rising by the day, most of the patients were also recovering from the infection.

“If 10,000 patients have recovered, what does that indicate?” the editorial asked, citing the progress the state had made in fighting the virus.

The state BJP’s ‘Maharashtra Bachao’ agitation was derided by the Sena editorial, saying it was time to save the state from the opposition party- BJP.

“Whatever issues the state BJP has raised was in the Central government’s jurisdiction and the Chief Minister should send a delegation led by Mr Fadnavis to the Centre with a list of demands from the state,” the editorial suggested.

The Maharashtra government was criticised by the BJP over its handling of the COVID-19 outbreak in the state, which has so far recorded 41,642 cases, 11726 recoveries and  1454 fatalities so far.

The party has asked its workers to hold black placards and masks while registering their protest against the Sena led government on Friday.

Leader of Opposition in the state Devendra Fadnavis accused Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray of over dependence on bureaucracy as he is “scared” of taking initiatives.

“Indecisiveness and strategic errors of the Maharashtra government have aggravated the COVID-19 crisis in the state,” said Fadnavis.