Uddhav lauds Modi over strikes, but dares BJP to snap alliance

Mumbai, Oct 11: Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray today lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the recent surgical strikes across the LoC even as he challenged its bickering ally BJP to snap the ruling alliance ahead of the crucial civic polls in Mumbai.

"From BJP, anyone gets up and speaks of contesting polls independently. The Chief Minister should first decide who is the leader. Don't stab us in the back.

Fight from the front. Contest separately if you have the courage," he told Shiv Sena's 50th annual Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai. "Break the alliance and we will show you our surgical strike," Thackeray said, in an apparent reference to BJP MP Kirit Somaiya's recent remark that BJP was all set to contest the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation polls, due early next year, independently.

"Let anyone confront us in Mumbai civic polls. We will show them that Mumbai belongs to Shiv Sena and Shiv Sena belongs to Mumbai," he said. "Our bond with Mumbaikars is that of blood," he said, adding "We won't come after you (BJP) with a begging bowl."

"For now you (Sena workers) don't think of alliance. We will take a decision on that, whatever that may be," he told the gathering. Stating that Modi fought with Pakistan like a man ("mard"), Thackeray congratulated the Indian Army and the prime minister for the surgical strikes.

"After the strikes, I phoned Modi and told him, "Narendrabhai, this is the Narendrabhai we want as PM," he said. "Modi should now take such an action that not only PoK but entire Pakistan should be known as part of India," he said, adding "Our Army has that much capability."

Condemning those who questioned the veracity of the strikes, Thackeray said, "Those who said the strikes were fake have rotten brains and water of gutters of Lahore and Karachi and not blood flows through their veins." "Did Rahul Gandhi learn of the 'khun ki dalali' from Bofors (scam)," he asked. "How can you show mistrust on Army while criticising Modi," he said.

"Those who show distrust for our brave soldiers may be offspring of Pakistan," he said.

PTI