Shiv Sena backs Asom Gana Parishad on centre’s Citizenship Amendment Bill

The Shiv Sena has extended its sympathies to the Asom Gana Parishad which is opposing the Centre's Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. It said the "political accident" of 2014 (of the BJP coming to power with a thumping majority) will not happen in the next year's general elections.

The Sena said some representatives of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) yesterday visited 'Matoshree', the residence of party chief Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai. "They expected the Sena to lead a coalition of regional parties at the national level," it said in an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana. Both Shiv Sena and AGP are BJP allies and constituents of the ruling National Democratic Alliance in the centre, Maharashtra and Assam.

Noting that AGP was strongly opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, the Sena said every region has its own 'element of pride', hence a linguistic-based state formation policy was accepted.

"It is not a treason to love Maharashtra," said the Sena, whose primary base is in the western state.

The Asom Gana Parishad, a constituent in the BJP-led Assam government, has expressed its apprehensions over the Citizenship (Amendment Bill), saying the historic Assam Accord would become meaningless if the bill was passed. The Assam Accord states that all illegal foreigners, who entered the north eastern state after 1971 from Bangladesh, irrespective of their religion, had to be deported.

Meanwhile, the Sena, which had earlier announced to go solo in future polls, exuded confidence of winning the next Maharashtra elections. Today is the party’s 52nd foundation day.

"The Shiv Sena will certainly come to power on its own in Maharashtra. It will also garner enough strength at the Centre to become a decisive factor on who will sit at the throne in Delhi (referring to the prime ministerial post)," the Marathi publication said.

The Sena said questions were being raised whether there was a pre-Emergency situation in the country. It alleged that the government elected with a mandate in the national capital (referring to the Arvind Kejriwal-led dispensation in Delhi) was being throttled. "If the bureaucracy continues to function on its whims, it will be difficult to hold elections and run a government," the editorial said.