Shiv Sena fumes at Fadnavis's take on development vision

Mumbai: Firing a fresh salvo at its ally in the run up to the Mumbai civic polls, Shiv Sena, which controls the cash rich city body, on Monday asked BJP to keep talks of "development vision" to itself and refrain from giving lessons to others.

"BJP's vision in matters of law and order, corruption and demonetisation has failed," Sena said, rebutting Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's recent remarks that an alliance for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls will happen only if BJP's vision of development is acceptable to it (Sena).

"At least Chhatrapati Shivaji's and Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray's Maharashtra does not need such a vision. The Centre's vision of demonetisation has led to financial anarchy and has rendered crores jobless, while those questioning the government are termed anti-national," an editorial in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamna' said.

"In an informal chat (with journalists) in Nagpur last week, Fadnavis had said an alliance with Sena will happen only if it accepts BJP's development vision. If this talk was unofficial, how did it get wide publicity? We do not need any clarifications on the issue, knowing the BJP's way of doing things by flaunting grand visions," Sena said.

Taunting Fadnavis over his claim about the crime rate declining in the state, Sena said in Nagpur itself four murders had been reported within a span of 20 hours.

Taking a dig at Chief Minister's ambitious Mumbai-Nagpur expressway project, Sena said BJP's vision might be that regions along the super highway will prosper and land prices will increase on account of this grand scheme.

"As a result of this vision, officials close to the ruling party have 'looted' land along the expressway," it charged.

"It was said terrorism will end after demonetisation.We are seeing everyday what is happening to this vision," the Sena added.