Shiv Sena urges the RSS to ‘restrain the Fadnavis couple’ (Lead)

By Quaid Najmi

Nagpur, Feb 27  A day after an ugly spat erupted between Maharashtra’s ruling Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress and opposition Bharatiya Janata Party over Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis’ “bangles” remarks, a senior Sena leader on Thursday knocked the doors of the RSS for help.

In a detailed Facebook post, Vasantrao Naik Sheti Swavlamban Mission (VNSSM) President Kishore Tiwari sought the intervention of the RSS to stop the Fadnavis couple from creating unnecessary political controversies which are spoiling relations among “like-minded Hindutva parties in Maharashtra and other parts of India”.

Posting a copy of the letter penned to RSS General Secretary Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi, Tiwari has referred to the “bangles” remarks of Fadnavis and later his celeb-banker wife Amruta jumping into the fracas by suggesting in a social media post that state Environment Minister Aditya Thackeray was a “worm”.

The controversy between the Maha Vikas Aghadi and the BJP was highlighted first by IANS on Wednesday.

Contending that no minister’s spouses/kids/relatives at the state or centre, Chief Ministers of any parties, in past/present make political remarks “unless they are in direct political conflict” with their target, Tiwari has questioned the “hidden agenda” of Amruta Fadnavis.

“Is she trying to ‘take over’ the state BJP which has no prominent women left now… Will she be acceptable to BJP/RSS mindset, there are questions being asked by people…” Tiwari asked.

He pointed out how Aditya Thackeray responded in a polite and sober manner demanding an apology from Fadnavis for his “disgraceful” remarks as bangles are worn by the strongest of all, the women.

Amruta Fadnavis hit back by saying “a cocooned worm will never understand the ‘pun’ of life! Its meant to thrive on the glory of the silken life woven for its comforts by its ancestors”, he cited in his letter.

Stating that the case of Amruta Fadnavis is “beyond the boundaries of customs and doctrine of RSS” for which certain checks are needed, Tiwari cited mythological, historical and contemporary examples of how the wife or spouse of any leader never interfered in the political dealings of the other partner.

“For that matter, Sita never abused Ravana, she let Ram-Laxman-Hanuman/etc. do needful and she even passed the agnipariksha! Even BJP boss Amit Shah’s wife, Rajnath Singh’s wife, Nitin Gadkari’s wife Kanchan. Same is the case with Arvind Kejriwal’s wife Sunita who doesn’t abuse PM Narendra Modi, Shah, Sonia, Rahul,” Tiwari said.

“Amruta’s unwanted political activism is beyond the understanding and culture of Indian political circle as no Opposition politicians’ spouses anywhere in the country criticize the government like, including the wife of L.K. Advani, Yashwant Sinha, Jaswant Singh, Arun Shourie, Shatrughan Sinha, etc.

“We never read in history of Shivaji’s queen or Prithviraj Singh Chauhan’s queen ever abusing the Mughals..! Ditto with Swaraj (Sushma) Kaushal’s husband, Mehbooba Mufti hubby Javed Iqbal, or Nirmala Sitharaman’s hubby P. Prabhakar, Vasundhara Raje’ ex-husband, Smriti Irani’s hubby Zubin…. etc..!” Tiwari added.

He also pointed out that CM Uddhav Thackeray’s wife Rashmi or even MNA chief Raj Thackeray’s wife Sharmila keep off their husbands’ political affairs, while the contributions of Meenatai, wife of the party’s founder-patriarch, Balasaheb Thackeray came out only after her sad demise.

Tiwari said that “such unwarranted and hostile activism” in the name of Amruta Fadnavis’ “independent personality” is fuelling the already worsened relationship of like-minded Hindu parties.

Incidentally, in the past nearly three months since Thackeray took over as CM on November 28, Amruta Fadnavis’ attacks on the Thackeray family on several occasions have grabbed headlines, sparking off intense speculation, though her husband has loyally stood by her.