Days after attacking Rahul Gandhi over his leadership, Shiv Sena on Thursday heaped praise on the Congress leader and said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is afraid of him. An editorial in Sena mouthpiece Saamana called Gandhi a “warrior” who has stood up against the Centre.
“Those in power in Delhi fear Rahul Gandhi. Otherwise, government campaigns to discredit the Gandhi family would not have been carried out. A dictator is afraid even if one man is against him, and if this lone warrior is honest, the fear increases hundredfold. Rahul Gandhi’s fear is that hundredfold,” the editorial in Saamana said.
Sena MP and executive editor of Saamana Sanjay Raut had, two weeks ago, criticised Gandhi and his leadership and also expressed the need to galvanise United Progressive Alliance as a combative Opposition. He had also hinted that Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar could be the consensus candidate to head UPA.
The editorial added that despite being targeted by the BJP, Gandhi stood against them. It said, “Despite propagating that Rahul Gandhi is a weak leader, he is still standing and attacking the government at any opportunity he gets… the Opposition will, at some point, rise from the ashes like the Phoenix. This is what the history of the country says.”
The Sena took on the Centre for the alleged use of Central agencies such as Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax Department, Central Bureau of Investigation, etc against its political opponents.
“There may be differences among political opponents, but the policy of strangling the Opposition and hanging their heads at Delhi’s Vijay Chowk is shocking… Agencies like Income Tax Department, ED etc. are extremely honest. There can be no doubt about their political allegiance. They will not go to anyone’s house and knock on the door unless the political boss gives a signal. So there is no point in blaming them [the agencies],” it said.
