Sena calls Left ‘anti-national’, mum on BJP

Terming opposition to the nuclear deal between India and the United States as “anti-national”, the Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamna has come down heavily on the Left for opposing the pact.

An editorial in the party organ published on Saturday says that it was wrong to oppose a move which could strengthen India in the international arena, and an opinion was forming that the Communists were weakening the country. However, despite editorials in Saamna supporting the nuclear deal, the top Sena leadership, including executive president Uddhav Thackeray, has refrained from making any pronouncements in support of it, perhaps afraid that it would further strain their relations with ally BJP.

Saturday’s editorial too skirts clear of the stand taken by the NDA, only saying the “study on this issue was on”. The Sena is going in for an in-depth study of the deal like the Left, Congress and (BJP leader) L K Advani, it adds further. It also points out that Advani had mellowed his opposition to the nuclear deal, and says that people were drawing their conclusions based on their intelligence and understanding.