Uddhav Thackeray dubs campaign by Narendra Modi, his Cabinet in Maharashtra to Afzal Khan

In the strongest attack yet on former ally BJP, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray today compared the poll campaign by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Cabinet in Maharashtra to the assault by Bijapur general Afzal Khan's army on Shivaji's dominion in the 17th century.

Uddhav's no-holds barred criticism of Sena's ally of 25 years came on the back of a strong editorial in the party mouthpiece 'Saamana' in which the party unleashed a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claiming that BJP, under the leadership of Modi "backstabbed" the party.

"What is BJP up to? First, they get the Prime Minister to campaign for them and then the entire cabinet of the PM comes here to campaign for them. These people are like the army of Afzal Khan trying to conquer this state," he said at a well-attended election rally the temple town of Tuljapur in Osamanabad district.

Uddhav alleged that like Afzal, BJP, too, intends to "divide the state into pieces" but warned the national party would meet the same fate as the medieval era commander.

"BJP wants to divide the state in the name of development and progress. But the people of Maharashtra will never let that happen. They (BJP) will be given a befitting reply (by the voters)," the Sena President said.

"If you want our state to be broken into pieces, then vote for BJP. But do you want that to happen?" he asked the crowd which replied in the negative with a roar.

He questioned the need for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and several BJP Chief Ministers to campaign for the October 15 assembly election.

"Don't they have a strong face in the state itself who can relate to people here?" the Sena leader wanted to know.

Recalling his previous visit to Tuljapur in the last week of September, Uddhav said Sena leaders did not favour quitting the alliance with BJP. "And then suddenly (On September 25) news came in that BJP has decided to break the 25-year-old alliance".

Uddhav said the immediate feeling he got was that the break-up was due to divine intervention. "The breaking up of the alliance was probably the will of Goddess Tulja Bhavani (whose famour temple is located here." The "Saamana" editorial also equated BJP with the "corrupt" Congress and NCP.

The Sena claimed that BJP, under the leadership of Modi, "backstabbed" the party and blamed it for the end of their 25-year-old alliance just days ahead of the Assembly polls.

A day after Modi steered clear of attacking his former ally as a "tribute" to its late supremo Bal Thackeray, the Sena also raised questions over the 'new-found' respect shown by the Prime Minister for him.

"Modi says that he will not attack the Sena in his speeches as he has respect for Balasaheb Thackeray. We too respect the PM. But when you back-stabbed us merely on the issue of seat sharing, where did that respect disappear then? Did you not think of Balasaheb before breaking the alliance forged on the principles of Hindutva," the Sena said.