Shiv Sena (UBT) head and former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray questioned the silence of President Droupadi Murmu on the Manipur incident even as he lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for being not able to contain the situation in the north-eastern Indian state which is hit by ethnic violence.
Thackeray also slammed Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey and Chief Minister N Biren Singh on the issue.
“Sita’s haran led to Ramayan…Draupadi’s vastraharan led to Mahabharat…what happened in Manipur people came to know only after the video surfaced,” Uddhav said addressing a Hindi-speaking party workers’ meeting at the Gadkari Rangayatan in Thane on Saturday evening.
“…those sitting in power in New Delhi had become a sort of Dhritarashtra as they failed to act when women were being humiliated on the streets,” he said, hitting out at the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre and Modi.
He also questioned the silence of Murmu and Uikey. “The President is a woman and a tribal…I want to ask her what she has been doing (on the issue)…do you have sensitivity?…the Manipur Governor is also a woman …what is she doing,” asked Thackeray.
He also said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah must go to Manipur again. “If you want peace in Manipur, send your agencies ED, CBI, I-T there. Maybe that would manage to restore peace. Shah should also go to Manipur (again),” he said.
In the past also, Thackeray had targeted the Modi government on the Manipur ethnic violence and the shocking incident of two women paraded naked and gang-raped - and had spoken on this in the two-part interview to Shiv Sena (UBT)’s digital platforms and party mouthpieces - Saamana and Dophar ka Saamana.
He also slammed Modi for calling I.N.D.I.A as “Indian Mujahideen”. “…he is blaming our alliance I.N.D.I.A as well. He goes to foreign countries and is termed as the Prime Minister of India ....but he calls us Indian Mujahideen…what thoughts he has,” Thackeray said.