BJP, Shiv Sena are ideologically similar, says Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis

Exuding confidence of comfortably getting past the 42-seat mark in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the alliance between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena is based on their commitment to a similar ideology and that this is “New India” which is filled with nationalism. This is not the “Old India” which could not take a firm stand on the issue of national security, he said. He was addressing a joint gathering of Sena-BJP workers in Nagpur on Friday.

He said the alliance is “an alliance of ideology”. “We are Hindutva (parties) and are proud of it.  Hindutva is not a limited concept so whosoever, irrespective of caste, creed and religion, has nationalism in him is part of this Hindutva. This is the thread that binds the Sena and the BJP together,” said Fadnavis.

“The country’s atmosphere is different now, on one side is development, but what is much dearer to BJP-Shiv Sena workers is India and nationalism,” he said, adding, “We are the people who believe in country first.”

Fadnavis also said that earlier governments only condemned terror attacks and approached world bodies like the United Nations with their grievances. He said Pakistan and its terror outfits thought this government (the BJP-led NDA), too, will be the same, but this is not Old India but New India filled with nationalism.

This New India, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave the armed forces full liberty to take revenge for terror attacks and give a befitting reply, Fadnavis said.

“However, I feel sad when some people ask for proof from the armed forces. On one hand, they ask for proof from the armed forces and on the other they refer terrorist Masood Azhar as ‘Azharji’.

“I know these people would never get elected, but I fear if by any chance they come into power tommorow they will change the history.

“They will call Aurangzeb as ‘Auranzebji’, Afzal Khan as ‘Afzal Khan ji and General Dyer as General Dyer ji,” Fadnavis said, in a sharp attack on the Congress.

(With agency inputs)