Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Friday referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as Mauni Baba, who only speaks about domestic issues when he is abroad. In an editorial titled Manmohan Modi in party mouthpiece Saamana, the Sena said the country’s capital should be shifted to London, New York, Tokyo or Paris, or else, New Delhi should be transformed into a film set depicting a foreign city.
Maintaining that the advice given by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Modi about the need for him to speak more is fair, the editorial said the whole country shares the feeling. “Still, what Manmohan Singh has said is a half-truth. Modi becomes a Mauni Baba in India, but he talks when abroad. He doesn’t feel that he must talk in India. He feels nauseated about the happenings here and then he goes to abroad to talk about domestic issues,” it stated.
“The PM has spoken about rape cases (in India) in London… This is part of his sensitive mind. He is emotional and there is a spark in his mind against injustice. The spark turns into flames when abroad,” said the editorial, adding that while Modi has asked people not to politicise rape cases, his stand had been different in the Nirbhaya case.
“Is it right for the Prime Minister to speak on rape cases in a foreign country? Why should a picture be painted of India as witnessing rise in corruption and rape cases and as an unsafe country?” the party asked. It added that Modi, in the past, had gone to Japan and spoken about black money and corruption.
The editorial said while diamond trader Nirav Modi looted banks and fled the country, Mallya is in London. “Our Prime Minister goes to the country that has sheltered them and comes back empty-handed. Bhakts do not like criticism on this,” it added. “The economy is collapsing and Modi is expressing his feelings abroad. Now, Manmohan Singh has started speaking but Modi has become mute. It can be considered a revenge taken by fate against BJP,” the editorial said.