'Will Prime Minister Visit Manipur Now?' Uddhav Thackeray Questions After RSS Chief's Statement

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on June 12 questioned whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Manipur following remarks made by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat about the situation in the north-eastern state. Addressing a press conference in Mumbai, the former Maharashtra Chief Minister also questioned the impact of the abrogation of Article 370, which provided special status to Jammu and Kashmir. "Lives are being lost. Who is responsible for the terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir?" he asked.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had expressed concern on Monday over the ongoing lack of peace in Manipur, even after a year, emphasizing that the situation in the troubled north-eastern state needs urgent attention.  "Will Prime Minister Modi visit Manipur after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s remarks?" Thackeray inquired. "I am concerned about the future of the country, not about the future of the NDA government," Thackeray added.

Speculations about a rift within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition surfaced due to the Vidhan Parishad election. However, Congress and the Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena have reached an agreement on two seats. "We received a call from Congress party leaders in Delhi, based on which we have compromised regarding the seats in Konkan and Nashik," said Uddhav Thackeray. He clarified that there is no rift within the MVA while speaking to the media in Mumbai.

Thackeray elaborated, "There is no rift among us due to the Vidhan Parishad election. There was a loose connection in communication. I was away for seven or eight days after the election results. Meanwhile, as the election dates approached, all parties had announced their candidates. Sanjay Raut and I spoke with Congress party leaders, and we decided to withdraw our candidates. I don't have anything more to say about this now."

Thackeray also unveiled the manifesto of Anil Parab, the candidate for the Mumbai Graduate Constituency. "This constituency has traditionally been ours. Educated voters have different concerns. Pramod Navalkar previously led this constituency. We will try to address some of the issues. The voting is on June 26. June 26 is not a holiday, so I urge everyone to vote before going to work," he appealed.