07 November,2012 02:37 PM IST | | Agencies
BJP's oldest ally Shiv Sena today said that while LK Advani "lost ground" due to the Jinnah remarks controversy, similarly Nitin Gadkari has been jolted because of the Swami Vivekananda comments row.
Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray (File pic)
"Advani lost ground over his Jinnah remarks and Gadkari has been jolted because of the Swami Vivekananda comments row," Sena chief Bal Thackeray said in an editorial in their party mouthpiece.
In 2005, Advani's description of Mohammed Ali Jinnah as a "secular" leader during his visit to Pakistan created a controversy in India, following which he had resigned as BJP president.
ALSO READ
Fadnavis meets Nitin Gadkari at his residence
Gadkari criticises Cong for falsely claiming BJP wants to modify Constitution
'Once operational, water taxis to cut down travel time to Navi Mumbai airport'
Nobody should take Rahul Gandhi seriously: Nitin Gadkari
"Congress itself altered the Constitution during Indira's regime": Nitin Gadkari
"Even Gadkari must be doubtful whether RSS would stand by him over his remarks on the IQ of Swami Vivekananda and Dawood Ibrahim," he said.
"Gadkari has clarified that he has not equated Vivekananda with Dawood. However, not a single leader of his party has taken cudgels on his behalf," Thackeray said.
"Gadkari's condition is like "Sukh ke sab saathi, dukh mein na koi" (everyone to share happiness but none to share sorrow), the editorial said.
Thackeray had last month defended Gadkari, accused of receiving illegal favours in land allotment from Maharashtra's Congress-NCP government.
"The allegations against Gadkari are as barren as the land he took (on lease from government)," Thackeray had said.
On Ram Jethmalani demanding the resignation of Gadkari in the wake of allegations of dubious funding of his company, Thackeray said, "Everyone knows the proximity between Jethmalani and Narendra Modi, and also the strained ties between Modi and Gadkari." u00a0
