The BJP may have denied any rift between L.K. Advani and Narendra Modi, but its alliance partner Shiv Sena is not buying this.
Taking a dig at the BJP, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on Saturday said that Mr Modi is being troubled by the “triphala churn” (an ayurvedic mix of three herbs used to detoxify and rejuvenate the body) concocted by the RSS, Nitin Gadkari and Mr Advani.
Mr Thackeray, in his editorial written in the Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana, said, “When Modi undertook his sadbhavana mission fast, an atmosphere was created where Modi was touted as the new sun or moon of the BJP and others as the stars that shone alongside. Modi was projected as the most capable candidate for the Prime Minister’s post,” Mr Thackeray said.
“At that time, I had asked that sadbhavana may be created in Gujarat due to Modi’s fast, but will the same be maintained in his party? But I did not think then that we will get to see that possibility turn into reality so soon,” he added.
The Sena leader said that Mr Advani’s decision to start his yatra from Bihar has ignited the infighting among the top BJP leaders. “Mr Modi received the first jolt when no BJP leader attended the maha aarti organised by him at the end of his fast. Immediately, he received a second jolt when Mr Advani announced that he was going to begin his rath yatra from Bihar and that the state’s CM Nitish Kumar would flag off the yatra,” he said. According to Mr Thackeray, Mr Modi must have been enraged by Mr Advani’s decision to start the yatra from Bihar. He pointed out that Mr Kumar and other leaders of his party had ridiculed Mr Modi’s sadbhavana mission.
“Nitish Kumar has indicated that the NDA will split and that he would oppose any move to project Mr Modi as the PM. He had even prevented Mr Modi from coming to Bihar at the time of the Bihar Assembly elections,” Mr Thackeray said.
However, in the end, Mr Thackeray also expressed hope that all the news about rift between Mr Advani and Mr Modi was a “rumour”.