Saffron collapse: Shiv Sena dubs BJP leaders as ‘enemies of Maharashtra’

Mumbai: Launching a scathing attack on its former ally, Shiv Sena on Friday dubbed those who broke the 25-year-old alliance as "enemies of Maharashtra."

"Our other (Mahayuti) alliance parties wanted the Sena-BJP combine to continue. More than that, it was what the 11 crore people of Maharashtra wanted. Those who trampled these sentiments are enemies of Maharashtra," Sena said.

"This (breaking of alliance) is an insult to the 105 Marathi martyrs of the Samyukta Maharashtra movement," an editorial in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' said.

"It is unfortunate that the Sena-BJP alliance which for the last 25 years was bound by the Hindutva ideology has ended," the Sena said.

"We made sincere efforts till the end to ensure that the alliance with BJP and other parties of Mahayuti remained intact," the editorial said.

"It will now be seen what happens next. Whatever goddess Tulja Bhavani proposes will happen. The only expectation is that in all this politics, the mathematics of Maharashtra's future should not get disturbed," it said.

"Those who till yesterday were praying in this tent are now offering namaz in the other tent," it further said.

Congress and its leaders should not worry about the future of a united Mumbai and Maharashtra because Shiv Sena and the saffron flag will protect Maharashtra, it said.

"Soon the realisation will dawn that those who flew away (BJP) were crows of 'pitrapaksh' and those who remain are Mavle (a term used for Chhhatrapati Shivaji's soldiers)," the editorial further said.

Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, who hasn't yet reacted to the alliance breakup, will make his views known at a public rally in Mumbai tomorrow, Sena sources said.