Shinde faction slams Uddhav meeting with AAP, calls it attempt to put ally Congress in tough spot

The Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde on Wednesday said that Uddhav Thackeray's meeting with AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann here was an attempt to put Congress, Thackeray's ally in Maharashtra, in a fix.

In a statement, the Shinde-led party also came out in support of the Union government's controversial ordinance for the control of services in the national capital.

Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal and his party comrade and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday met Thackeray at the latter's residence `Matoshri' here to seek support for the AAP's fight against the ordinance. The Shinde-led Sena said this meeting was "Uddhav Thackeray's ploy to put the Congress in a tough spot." The Narendra Modi government's ordinance "completely adheres to the Constitution framed by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar", the statement said, adding that Kejriwal had criticised the ordinance, and Thackeray was backing him.

Thus, Thackeray was "insulting Babasaheb Ambedkar," it said.

The Congress and NCP have dubbed Uddhav Thackeray "younger brother" in the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, and now the Congress is mum on the ordinance issued by the Centre, the Shinde group said.

"This is Thackeray's attempt to put the Congress in a tough spot by dragging Kejriwal into state politics," the statement said.

The Union government's ordinance is in "national interest" as Delhi, being the capital of the country, belongs to every Indian citizen, the Shinde group said, adding that Kejriwal's "high-handedness" can not be accepted.

Recounting how Delhi's political status changed post-1947, the statement said the present ordinance is "completely constitutional".

The Shinde-led Shiv Sena also said that Bhagwant Mann should pay attention to the "deteriorating law and order situation" in Punjab before turning his gaze to Maharashtra.

Mann meeting Uddhav Thackeray showed the latter's "desperation," the statement claimed.