Sena backs Asom Gana Parishad on Citizenship Bill

A day after backing Delhi ChiefMinister Arvind Kejriwal's sit-in at the lieutenant governor's office, the Shiv Sena today extended its sympathies to the Asom Gana Parishad which is opposing the Centre's Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.It said the "political accident" of 2014 (of the BJP coming to power with a thumping majority) will not happen in the next year's general elections.Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his frequent foreign visits, the Sena said while India was witnessing dust storms, the PM, being mostly out of the country, might not be affected by it.The Sena said some representatives of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) yesterday visited 'Matoshree', the residence of party chief Uddhav Thackeray here."They expected the Sena to lead a coalition of regional parties at the national level," it said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.Noting that AGP, an ally of the BJP in Assam, was strongly opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, the Sena said every region has its own 'element of pride', hence a linguistic-based state formation policy was accepted."It is not a treason to love Maharashtra," the Sena, whose primary base is in the western state, said.The Asom Gana Parishad, a constituent in the BJP-led Assam government, has expressed its apprehensions over the Citizenship (Amendment Bill), saying the historic Assam Accord would become meaningless if the bill was passed.The Assam Accord states that all illegal foreigners, who entered the north eastern state after 1971 from Bangladesh, irrespective of their religion, had to be deported.Meanwhile, the Sena, which had earlier announced to go solo in future polls, exuded confidence of winning the next Maharashtra elections."The Shiv Sena will certainly come to power on its own in Maharashtra. It will also garner enough strength at the Centre to become a decisive factor on who will sit at the throne in Delhi (referring to the prime ministerial post)," the Marathi publication said.The Shiv Sena has completed 52 years and the journey has been full of struggle, it said."When (Maratha warrior king) Shivaji decided to have his own kingdom, several questions were raised about the challenges and difficulties. A similar struggle was faced by Sena founder late Balasaheb Thackeray," it said.The Sena said questions were being raised whether there was a pre-Emergency situation in the country.Jawans were being killed in Kashmir, it said and alleged that the government elected with a mandate in the national capital (referring to the Kejriwal-led dispensation in Delhi) was being throttled."If the bureaucracy continues to function on its whims, it will be difficult to hold elections and run a government," the editorial said.

Sena backs Asom Gana Parishad on Citizenship Bill

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