New Delhi: Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said it’s time the country gives Pakistan a reply in the language it understands because talks with the neighbouring nation “would not yield any result”.
“Talking with Pakistan won’t work now. It is now time to answer Pakistan in the language it understands. If war (with Pakistan) is to take place, it should be for well-being of the nation, not for votes. When will we finally understand Pakistan’s language,” Thackeray told reporters in the backdrop of the Uri terror strike which left 18 soldiers dead.
Taking a jibe at Narendra Modi when asked if he spoke to the Prime Minister over the attack, Uddhav said, “He must be busy talking to Pakistan right now. When he gets free, we will talk.” He said there is a wave of anger among the masses over the Uri attack and that Modi is well poised to take a definite action against the neighbouring country owing to the overwhelming majority that the BJP enjoys in the Lok Sabha.
“If you keep doing what the previous government did, how can you say there is an atmosphere of change in the country? It seems that the government is of the view that those who want to shed tears may do so, we will continue to go to Pakistan to have tea and continue to welcome their artists and sportspersons here,” he said. He said people entrusted Modi the PM’s chair following a series of promises he had made during his Lok Sabha election campaign which now needs to be fulfilled.
“This is not the first time they have attacked us. They recently stabbed us with the Pathankot attack. There is no use of merely harbouring feelings of anger against Pakistan,” he said.
Thackeray also called for a special one-day session of Maharashtra Legislature to address the grievances of the Maratha community. “Maratha leaders should come forward and voice their issues. There needs to be a discussion on the Atrocities Act and their reservation issue. We expect (NCP president Sharad Pawar) to raise this issue in the Parliament while we will raise it in the state Legislature,” he said.