Congress on Thursday described as an "internal tussle of Thackeray brothers", the MNS accusations against the Shiva Sena of practicing double standards by criticising Shah Rukh Khan for his IPL statements but keeping mum on Amitabh Bachchan, who shared the dais with a Pakistani actor.
"This is an internal tussle between Thackeray brothers (Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray). This internal fight is the result of the competition between them to claim Shiv Sena's legacy," party spokesperson Manish Tewari said when asked to comment on the development.
He denied suggestions that Congress had ever any role in encouraging MNS, saying, "we have been maintaining it from the very beginning that neither Congress nor the Maharashtra government has anything to do with all this. This is the result of their internal tussle." Tewari also said, "the mass base of Shiv Sena has crumbled after three successive defeats.
There was also a divide in the Sena and new party MNS was formed, which is being led by Raj Thackeray. All this fight, be it over any film, burning posters of any film star or attacking any television channel is for claiming Sena's legacy."
Tewari replied in the negative when asked whether Congress stood to benefit from the tussle between Shiv Sena and MNS and said, "when any party or alliance wins three consecutive elections as Congress-NCP did in Maharashtra, it happens only when people have unshakeable faith in its policies and programmes." PTI
