Samajwadi Party Parts Ways With MVA After Uddhav Aide’s Remark On Babri Demolition – News18

Last Updated:December 07, 2024, 15:42 IST

Uddhav Sena leader’s post lauding demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya created a rift within MVA, leading to Samajwadi Party’s announcement to walk out of Opposition alliance.

Maharashtra Opposition Rift: In a massive setback for the Opposition, the Samajwadi Party on Saturday announced to walk out of the Maha Vikas Aghadi in Maharashtra after Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray’s close aide lauded the demolition of Babri Masjid.

The Samajwadi Party has two MLAs in the 288-membered state Assembly.

“The Samajwadi Party is willing to function alone in Maharashtra, but it will never tolerate becoming a part of the communal ideology of Shiv Sena UBT while remaining in the Maha Vikas Aghadi,” Samajwadi Party Maharashtra unit chief Abu Azmi tweeted in Hindi.

Why Did Samajwadi Party Quit MVA?

Azmi attributed the reason behind the massive move to an advertisement by Shiv Sena UBT in a newspaper “congratulating those who demolished Babri masjid”.

“His (Uddhav Thackeray) aide has also posted on X hailing the demolition of the mosque,” Azmi said.

“We are quitting the MVA. I am speaking to (Samajwadi Party president) Akhilesh Singh Yadav,” he announced.

What Was Shiv Sena UBT’s Post That Created Rift Among MVA?

The announcement comes after Uddhav Sena MLC Milind Narvekar posted a photo of the demolition of the Babri mosque and added a quote by Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray, “I am proud of those who did this”.

The UBT secretary also posted pictures of Uddhav and Aaditya Thackeray in the post.

“If anyone in the MVA speaks such language, what is the difference between the BJP and them? Why should we stay with them?” Azmi asked.

The Babri Masjid, a 16th-century mosque, was brought down by Kar Sevaks on December 6, 1992. Shiv Sena has time and again lauded the incident and claimed credit for the same.

On November 9, 2019, a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court, led by then Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, delivered a historic verdict paving the way for the construction of the Ram Mandir. It ruled that an alternative five-acre plot would be allotted for a mosque in Ayodhya.

The Pran Pratishtha of the Ram Lalla idol in the grand temple of the holy city was performed in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 22 this year.

(With PTI inputs)