SP Decides to Walk Out of MVA After Babri Demolition Post by Uddhav’s Aide

Mumbai: Cracks have emerged in the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance as Shiv Sena (UBT) has indicated that it may return to the hardline Hindutva after its debacle in the Maharashtra Assembly election. After the Uddhav Thckeray-led party’s MLC Milind Narvekar posted a photograph of Babri mosque demolition along with Balasaheb Thackeray’s quote “I am proud of those who did this”, Maharashtra Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Abu Asim Azmi said his party will pull out of the MVA. Mr. Azmi went on saying that there is no difference between the BJP and Shiv Sena.

Miffed with the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader’s post, the Maharashtra SP chief also announced to go “solo” in the upcoming civic body elections including the BMC.

“There was no co-ordination in the MVA during seat sharing and later in the campaign too. After the defeat in assembly polls, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, in an internal meeting, told his leaders and party workers to aggressively pursue the Hindutva agenda. On December 6, the party posted a message on social media in favour of Babri mosque demolition. We cannot tolerate this. So, we have decided not to continue with MVA,” Mr Azmi said.

Two MLAs of the SP , which was part of the MVA, were elected in the recently concluded Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election. Mr. Azmi was elected from Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar in Mumbai, while Rais Shaikh won from Bhiwandi East constituency in Thane district.

When enquired about whether he has taken permission from the SP national president Akhilesh Yadav to end the relations with the MVA, Mr. Azmi told this newspaper that he knows his party’s ideology, therefore, he has made the announcement. “Although I have not asked the party chief Akhilesh Yadav, I have received a message from the party headquarter in Lucknow that the party will not support those who celebrate the demolition of Babri Mosque.” he said.

The Maharashtra SP chief also called the Shiv Sena (UBT) an opportunist party stating as the Uddhav Thackeray-led party does not have any ideology. Because it was badly defeated in the Assembly election, therefore, they are now trying to polarise the Hindu vote bank by raising such issues, he said.

After the party’s defeat in the Assembly election, Mr. Thackeray held a meeting with the former BMC corporators and instructed them to take Hindutva agenda aggressively forward in view of the BMC election.

In December 6, the Sena (UBT) posted a message in favour of demolition of Babri Mosque.

Interestingly, no senior leaders from the MVA made any efforts to pacify the SP chief over this issue.