Image via indiatvnews.com
The mahabreakup – Shiv Sena, BJP dissolving their 25 year old relationship followed by NCP ending its 15 year old dalliance with the Congress – has sent shock waves through both the secular and communal camps across India.
Addressing a joint press conference, a distressed Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad Yadav appealed to the Congress and NCP leadership to sink their petty differences and join hands to keep communal forces at bay. Both reiterated that the Assembly polls were crucial not just for Maharashtra but the entire country as the concept of India was under threat. “It breaks my heart to see #Mahabreakup trend when the need of the hour is a Mahalliance for the coming Mahabattle,” Nitish concluded in his impassioned appeal.
Lalu said he understood it was a pain to work with Rahul Gandhi but one had to make sacrifices to uphold secular ideals. “Can you imagine how painful it is for me to report to Rahul or hold hands in public with Nitish wa? Truly professional secularists take these things in their stride, yaar,” Lalu observed, appealing to Sharad Pawar to immediately unblock Rahul and get back to chatting with him to mend the NCP-Congress alliance.
The secular camp’s sentiments were echoed by Pramod Multhalik, the head of the Rashtriya Hindu Sena, who asked all communal forces in Maharashtra to come together despite personality and ego clashes to “keep secular forces at bay”.
However, Arvind Kejriwal refused to give credence to the break-up reports. “These parties are trying to fool people by pretending to be different from each other. But it’s an eye-wash. Sab mile hue hain, ji [They are all in it together, sir],” Kejriwal said, emphasizing that only the AAP is truly different from all other parties.
The unravelling political equations have left party spokesperson across the political spectrum bewildered but none more so than Rahul Narvekar. “Abhe yaar, I was finally getting used to mouthing the ‘keeping communal forces at bay’ line and now I’m told my party may ally with the BJP after elections. I am not a chameleon, yaar, that I can change my colors so frequently,” he wailed.
(With inputs from Pankaj)