Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray (in pic) had said at a meeting in Nashik recently, that it was wrong to label Kanhaiya Kumar as "anti-national". (File Photo)
The unfulfilled election promises of Prime Minister Narendra Modi have emboldened even a 'tinpot' like JNU students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar to criticise him, the Shiv Sena said on Monday.
"PM Modi had made tall pre-elections promises: return of black money lying abroad, creating 20 million jobs every year, 'achhe din', and other things. After becoming the Prime Minister, he failed to deliver. So now people like Kanhaiya Kumar can talk of selling off PM Modi on OLX (online auction site)," the Shiv Sena said in an editorial in the party mouthpiece "Saamana".
Referring to the allegation made by Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union president that Prime Minister Modi has time to travel all over the world, but not to the drought-hit areas of Marathwada, Shiv Sena said the question has great resonance for the people of that region.
The party questioned Kanhaiya Kumar's standing as a critic of the government and said it did not agree with his criticism. "Nevertheless, the BJP must do some serious soul-searching on who is responsible for breathing life into the entity called Kanhaiya Kumar," Shiv Sena said.
While it was proper on Kanhaiya Kumar's part to highlight the plight of Marathwada people, Shiv Sena questioned, "who is behind him and making him talk" on all these issues.
"It will not help to strangle him, as his voice will not be subdued. Nobody has come forth to smother Asaduddin Owaisi, who arrogantly refused to chant 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai', the Shiv Sena asked.
On Sunday, following the alleged attack on Kanhaiya Kumar in a Jet Airways plane at Mumbai airport, Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray had said at a meeting in Nashik it was wrong to label him "anti-national".
If youth are branded anti-national in this manner, they will not be able to work for the country and the BJP would forfeit the support of the youth, he had cautioned.