COUNTER Sena to Jaitley: Don’t lecture us

Hitting back at Union minister Arun Jaitley, the Shiv Sena has said that it does not need to learn about tolerance from any other party. In a sarcastic jibe at Mr Jaitley, the Sena also asked whether supporting Mufti Muhammad Sayeed in Kashmir and giving protection to a former Pakistan minister in Mumbai strengthens tolerance.

Mr Jaitley on Tuesday had deprecated the rising incidents of intolerance and vandalism where he said was an “extremely disturbing trend” and called for a “civilised mode” of discussing and debating issues. His disapproval of vandalism by people to register contrary views came against the backdrop of the Shiv Sena forcing the cancellation of a music concert by Pakistani legend Ghulam Ali, talks between Indian and Pakistani cricket board chiefs and blackening of the face of Sudheendra Kulkarni in Mumbai.

Reacting to Mr Jaitley’s remarks, the editorial in Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana said, “Pakistan has been showing its ‘ fanatic tolerance’ by killing innocent people at the border, in Kashmir, Delhi and Mumbai. Shiv Sena is not a coward to talk about tolerance when the blood of innocent people is being spilled in the country.”

The Sena said governments have changed but issues of concern have remained the same. “In Kashmir, supporting Mufti Muhammad Sayeed and in Mumbai giving protection to a former Pakistan minister strengthens tolerance,” the party sarcastically said in the editorial.

“Because of Pakistan’s anti- India activities, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has to address the nation from behind a bullet- proof glass,” the editorial said.