Shiv Sena slams PM Modi for his 'power is like oxygen' remark

The Shiv Sena on Wednesday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his 'power is like oxygen for some people' remark, claiming the BJP broke the alliance with it in 2014 just for the sake of power.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. PTI Photo

MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena on Wednesday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his 'power is like oxygen for some people' remark, claiming the BJP broke the alliance with it in 2014 just for the sake of power. Power is like oxygen for some people with restlessness setting in if they are out of it for even two or five years, Modi had said Monday while taking a jibe at the opposition but without naming anybody or any party. "Those who failed to usher in "achche din" find (the thought of) sitting on the opposition benches beneath them," the Sena said in an editorial in the party mouthpiece Saamana. In a veiled attack on the BJP, the Sena slammed the practice of giving entry to criminals so that the 'oxygen of power' wasn't lost even if it meant 'purifying thieves' (by admitting them in the party). "Saheb, the experiment to break the alliance with Hindutva proponent Shiv Sena was conducted in 2014 for the sake of total power," the editorial said, targeting Modi. "Now when people are pulling out the tubes of this oxygen cylinder of Hindutva, statements are made (by BJP) unilaterally that an alliance with Sena will happen, it said. Today, Lord Rama in Ayodhya and BJP veteran Lal Krishna Advani in politics are in exile while others are reaping fruits of the "oxygen of power", the Sena said. "Forcibly sending somebody in exile is politics of power," said the Sena, an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Maharashtra. "To win polls, criminals are made 'Valmiki' (sage who wrote the epic Ramayan). In the end, power is irresistible," the Uddhav Thackeray-led party said. The Sena also condemned a government order authorising central agencies to monitor information stored on computers. "This move is a not a sign of a real democracy but shows the desperation to cling to power," it said. "The government's move to snoop on computers and mobile phones is not a sign of a real democracy and freedom, but its restlessness to stay in power," the Sena said. The government recently authorised 10 central agencies to intercept, monitor and decrypt all data contained in any computer system, adding it was being done to prevent "any unauthorised use of these powers". The move had set off a political storm with the opposition accusing the government of trying to create a "surveillance state".