Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis criticised the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena for not participating in the all-party meeting called by the Central government in New Delhi to discuss the Pahalgam terror attack that took place on April 22.

After the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, the Central government had called an all-party meeting. The government had convened the meeting to take five important decisions against Pakistan. However, the representative of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena in Maharashtra was not present at this meeting.

Advertisement

“I am very sad about this. When the enemy attacks us, like in Pahalgam, Indian parties have not played politics. The late leader, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had fully supported then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during the 1971 Bangladesh war, but today, a differing stand is being taken,” Fadnavis said.

“Whether there is a war-like situation in India, an attack on the country, or any issue related to the country, the political parties in this country have never looked at party politics. During the Bangladesh war, there was a fierce battle between the parties in the country, but Vajpayee supported then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. This has been the tradition of India. The people of the country will not forgive what is happening by opposing, mocking and making stupid statements about the attack,” Fadnavis said, attacking the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena.

Incidentally, representatives of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena were not present at the all-party meeting held in Delhi. The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena was invited to the all-party meeting held in New Delhi, but its Lok Sabha MP Arvind Sawant, wrote a letter to Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, informing that he and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut would not be able to attend the meeting due to “unavoidable reasons”, though the party assured in its letter, that it fully stands with the central government.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena’s non-participation at the all-party meeting held in New Delhi was also criticised by the Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora on Friday. Deora said that “It was shameful, but expected”.

Tweeting from his X handle, Deora stated, “Shameful but expected, not a single Uddhav Thackeray Shiv Sena MP turned up for the all-party meeting on the Pahalgam terror attack. When the nation needed one voice on security, those who bark into microphones everyday, suddenly fell silent.”

Later, Sanjay Raut who is the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena’s Rajya Sabha MP, stated that both Raut and Lok Sabha MP Arvind Sawant were on an official tour as members of parliamentary committees.

However, at the ground level, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena is active and the party held several street corner meetings in Mumbai with speakers condemning the terror attack at Pahalgam on Friday evening.

The Statesman witnessed one such public meeting held by the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena at 4 pm evening on Friday, right outside Bandra West railway station, which is very near to a mosque. The public meeting held by the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena also featured several Muslims who condemned Tuesday’s terror attack in Pahalgam, in Jammu & Kashmir.