Major row breaks out between BJP, SS(UBT) over 'nakli santaan' jibe at Uddhav; Mahayuti ally also takes umbrage

Pune (Maharashtra), May 10 (IANS) Ruling Mahayuti’s ally Prahar Janshakti Party (PJP) on Friday took umbrage at a statement made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi against former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

During an election campaign in Maharashtra on Thursday, PM Modi allegedly referred to the ‘nakli santaan (fake children)’ of Balasaheb Thackeray while alluding to Uddhav Thackeray and reiterated his earlier statements on the ‘nakli party’ Shiv Sena (UBT).

Reacting to the statements, PJP President Omprakash Babarao Kadu, alias Bachchu Kadu said on Friday, “This should not have happened… Electioneering has plummeted to new lows… This is like a village panchayat-level poll campaign. If the PM has indeed said it, then it’s not in the right spirit.”

Referring to the statements by the PM, Home Minister Amit Shah and other senior BJP leaders labelling the Shiv Sena (UBT) an imitation of the original founded by the late Balasaheb Thackeray, Kadu said, “We can understand this up to the party level. However, it’s no proper to drag family members and relatives into it while campaigning just to get votes.”

However, another Mahayuti ally and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said that the PM would never make such a statement disrespecting Balasaheb Thackeray.

Taking offence to PM Modi’s statement, SS(UBT)’s senior leader Sanjay Raut said that if someone calls Balasaheb Thackeray’s children “fake”, then “they are directly insulting the people of Maharashtra, and the people will teach them a lesson.”

Uddhav Thackeray also vented his ire late on Thursday night and promptly hit back saying, “Modi calls us ‘nakli santaan’, but he is ‘be-akli’ (brainless). This is a direct insult to my revered parents Balasaheb Thackeray and Meena Thackeray. The people of the state will not rest till they give the BJP a fitting reply for this slur.”

After the SS(UBT)’s sharp retort, Fadnavis hit back on Friday saying that "it is Thackeray who has completely lost his mental balance and needs urgent treatment for making such statements” against the PM.

PM Modi had made the remarks at a poll rally on Thursday in which he referred to the statements by ex-Congressman Sam Pitroda drawing comparisons between South Indians and Africans.