Rajnath speaks to Uddhav, Sena sticks to its criticism

Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday spoke to Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and is believed to have conveyed BJP’s unhappiness over NDA ally participating in a march against demonestisation even as the Sena stuck to its criticism, saying it could have been implemented in a better way.

The Shiv Sena, the oldest ally of BJP and part of the governments at the Centre and in Maharashtra, had on Wednesday joined a march to Rashtrapati Bhavan led by Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and participated by AAP and National Conference.

While the other parties which took part in the march sought immediate withdrawal of demonetisation exercise, the Sena had differed on the issue and insisted that the government extend the deadline of accepting the old currency notes. 

Earlier on Thursday, Singh spoke to Thackeray on phone for about 10 minutes and is understood to have told him that Shiv Sena joining hands with the opposition, despite being part of the Modi government, was sending a confusing signal and such an action was avoidable. 

Thackeray, talking on the development, said his party is with the government in the fight against black money, but the public has been inconvenienced by its implementation.

“We are with the government in their fight against black money. But common man has been immensely troubled by the way the decision was implemented. This should stop,” he told reporters here.