Mumbai : The Shiv Sena on Saturday criticised its ally BJP for revoking the suspension of Prashant Paricharak, a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC), who had run into a controversy over his remarks about wives of soldiers last year.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led party described the revocation as a “surgical strike” conducted by the Maharashtra government on jawans and their families.
“The slogan ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’ has been humiliated in the present BJP regime. It is as if they have laid a red carpet welcoming Prashant Paricharak. The proposal to revoke his suspension should have been opposed by all the legislators, like they had unanimously demanded his suspension,” it said in an editorial in party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’.
Earlier this week, the Maharashtra government had revoked the suspension of Paricharak, who had made objectionable comments about wives of soldiers. Paricharak was suspended on March 9 last year for his comments. The BJP-backed MLC had later apologised for his remarks.
“Revoking Paricharak’s suspension was a surgical strike by the Maharashtra government conducted on lakhs of serving and retired soldiers and their families. Disrespecting soldiers amounts to disrespecting Shivaji Maharaj but the BJP, drunk on power, does not realise this,” the Sena alleged.
The Sena said the blood of soldiers at the borders is being spilled every day while the government keeps boasting about teaching Pakistan a lesson. “1However, the one who spoke ill about the families of soldiers is being accorded a red-carpet welcome,” it said.