Shat pratishat will come later, first regain lost base — Nirupam

Significantly, Nirupam is the first Sena leader to have reacted so sharply to the BJP’s slogan. While senior leaders have merely said that the Sena has no objection to the new programme and slogan given by its ally, most others have avoided making any comment on the issue.

He also vehemently denied that the Sena and Congress were moving closer in Maharashtra. Asserting that the Sena would never have any truck with the Congress, he recalled that Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray had made it amply clear his opposition to the idea of reaching any kind of understanding with parties having different ideologies. The Sena supremo had turned down a suggestion from the BJP that the saffron alliance accommodate a third party so as to reach the majority mark.

The Sena MP clarified that his speeches in the RS were not meant for embarrassing BJP ministers. "They should be taken as `constructive criticism’," he added.

On another controversial issue, that of staging the Marathi play Mee Nathuram…, he blasted Congress leaders alleging that they were maintaining double standards. He said Congressmen protested when there were demonstrations against screening of the film Fire and also during shooting of another film Water. They were in the forefront giving speeches saying that freedom of expression was threatened by such demonstrations. By the same logic, they should have allowed the performances of Nathuram ….. But they have chosen to oppose it, exposing their double standards.

Explaining the Sena stand on this issue, he said that his party never glorified the dastardly act of Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination. But it supported the view that a ban on staging of Nathuram … amounted to encroachment on freedom of expression.

On the organisational front, he said the present setup at the district and tehsil level would not be disturbed till further orders from the Sena supremo. He also announced that he would allocate Rs 50 lakh each from the funds at his disposal as an MP, for development programmes to Nagpur-East and Kalmeshwar assembly constituencies.

Nirupam along with party MP from Ramtek, Subodh Mohite, have taken up the issue of early completion of the long pending Narkhed-Amravati rail line project. Mohite, who was present at the press conference, said he drew Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee’s attention towards the need to have a new rail link passing through his constituency. Taking note of his letter, the Railway Minister allocated Rs 6 crore this year, the highest so far.

Describing it as inadequate, the Sena MP said he has now taken up the issue with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee demanding that the allocation should be raised to Rs 15 or 20 crore.