Shiv Sena advises PM Modi to avoid pro-CAA speeches, says 'votes are diverted elsewhere'

Shiv Sena on Tuesday directly attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for delivering the same speeches focused on the Citizenship Amendment Act at every place. Writing in the editorial of party mouthpiece Saamana, Sena MP Sanjay Raut maintained that the Centre had taken very little action to implement the CAA in its true spirit. Citing the example of the Delhi Assembly election, he called upon the PM to stop giving speeches laced with the defence of CAA as they were not fetching electoral dividends. Furthermore, Raut contended that the government had done no favour by taking decisions in the national interest.  

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Sanjay Raut remarked, “The problem will end when the doubts and fears in the minds of people regarding the CAA are addressed. Modi and Shah are officials of the state and their decisions will be in the interests of the nation. There is no doubt about that. Foreigners should be thrown out of India. The entire country is united on the demand that Bangladeshi and Pakistani infiltrators should be kicked out from India and it was the Centre’s duty to take such a decision. On this issue, election speeches are more visible than actual action.” 

He added, “The doubts have deepened in the minds of the people because you speak the same thing in one voice from Delhi to Varanasi and from Ahmedabad to Shimla. The government should work. And talk less. This talk did not work in the Delhi Assembly election. The Delhi election results have given the message that the PM should change his direction.

Yesterday, the Supreme Court stated, “The government is not doing a favour by taking decisions in the national interest but expressing dissent on an issue is not treason”. So, the government should not use the language that we will not take back decisions taken in the national interest and will not bend despite the pressure. That might fetch you claps, but the votes are diverted elsewhere as Delhi has shown.” 

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The Delhi Assembly elections

The electorate of Delhi registered their vote on February 8. As per the Election Commission of India, the total voter turnout was 62.59%- nearly 5% lower than the corresponding figures in the 2015 election. Despite this, AAP managed to win 62 out of the total 70 seats with a vote share of 53.57%. On the other hand, BJP's vote share increased to 38.51%, but it bagged only 8 seats.

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