On a day when Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena in its mouthpiece 'Saamana' targeted the erstwhile ally BJP terming it ‘’Kamalabai’’ [(because of the BJP’s symbol, the kamal (lotus)], the BJP in a stinking dig asked why the Thackeray faction-led rebellion could not be called ‘’Penguin Sena.’’
BJP’s Mumbai unit chief Ashish Shelar in a scathing letter addressed to Uddhav Thackeray as the Saamana editor and not as the Shiv Sena president said, ‘’You go on to ridicule BJP by terming Kamalabai. No problem. In bai (woman) there is mother, sister and goddess Laxmi. So can we term whatever remaining party under your leadership as ‘’Penguin Sena?’’ We can also use such hard-hitting words.’’
Shelar’s timing is important as the Thackeray faction and the Shinde camp are currently involved in a legal battle. Besides, BJP along with the Shinde camp have stepped up attacks against Thackeray with a resolve for its defeat and together win over 200 seats in the upcoming BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.
The trigger for Shelar’s attack against Thackeray was a news article carried on Saturday's 'Saamana' paper with the headline ‘’Kamalabai is desperate, now Congress is under BJP’s radar.’’
This was in connection with the meeting between former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis that led to the debate of split in the Congress party with Chavan and six others shortly joining the BJP.
Even though Chavan and Fadnavis have clarified that they met at the common associate’s residence for Ganapati darshan and they did not discuss any politics, their meeting has created a buzz especially when the new government came to power after Eknath Shinde led the rebellion and he joined hands with BJP.
Earlier, BJP MLA Nitesh Rane while taking a jibe at Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray had tweeted ‘’We say baby penguin - Shiv Sainiks start trolling! Yuva leader - Anil Parab says Aditya T has nothing to do with it! Nobody even took his name yet!!! Perfect example of : आ बेल मुझे मार !!!’’
