Amit Shah meets Uddhav Thackeray, at later's residence

Amit Shah meets Shiv Sena's chief Uddhav Thackeray on June 6, 2018

BJP president Amit Shah walked into Shiv Sena's chief Uddhav Thackeray's residence in Mumbai in an attempt to talk the Shiv Sena chief regarding his threat to contest the 2019 elections separately posed many uneasy questions.

• Only on June 3, 2018, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut described BJP as its biggest "political enemy", in one of the sharpest attacks after the recently held Lok Sabha bypoll in Palghar. The country "does not" want the duo of PM Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, he wrote in party's mouthpiece 'Saamana'.
• Shah, along with Maharashtra CM Fadnavis etc had called on Madhuri Dixit at her residence and presented a booklet containing the achievements of the BJP-led central government in the last four years to her during the meeting. During his meeting with Ratan Tata at his residence, Shah had presented a similar booklet.
• A day later Mumbai Congress president Sanjay Nirupam asked Dixit & Tata, in his separate letters, that the booklet were a “bundle of lies” and appealed to them not to fall for blatant lies of the BJP and its chief. 
• The issue of fighting elections together in 2019 remains unresolved, as Uddhav Thackeray was non-committal, and more meetings are planned in the coming days to improve relations. If the BJP and Shiv Sena decide to fight elections separately it is advantage for the Congress and NCP combine.
• Relations between BJP and Shiv Sena hit rock bottom in recent times. Last month's by-elections, the two allies fought against each other. Shiv Sena has signaled that as the ties between their people and the BJP have snapped. For the BJP, relationships are business calculations they opined.
• The by-elections to the Lok Sabha seats of Palghar and Bhandara-Gondiya clearly show that Shiv Sena, which is still undecided over its support for the BJP, can play spoilsport in at least 30 of 46 seats in Maharashtra.
• The meeting between the two leaders is aimed at cutting a political deal, nothing else. Shiv Sena going into sulking mode, indicates that the Shiv Sena was acting pricey to negotiate a better deal for itself.
• Shiv Sena isn't the only NDA ally to be visited by Mr Shah to mend fences. Mr Shah will be meeting with Akali Dal chief PS Badal and son Sukhbir very soon. Mr. Badal, however, prepped this meeting with a message to other allies to stand together as the general elections are in a year, they should resolve differences to strengthen the NDA to emerge victorious, Mr Badal had stated.

Anyone who is following Maharashtra's political space knows that Shiv Sena will not bridge a pre-poll alliance with its BJP for 2019, as they reiterated the meet as a ‘drama’. Amit Shah's strategy seems to make Shiv Sena officially break the alliance and then make Shiv Sena explain to voters where they stand, and not resort to fence-sitting anymore. In the 2014 Assembly elections, the Shiv Sena with 19.3% votes won 63 seats of the 282 seats. BJP secured 27.8% of the votes and won 122 seats. And Congress and NCP, secured 17.95% & 17.24% votes and won 42 & 41 seats respectively. If Congress and NCP come together, and Shiv Sena goes on its own, it will be impossible for BJP to reach the winning mark. For the kind of arrogance and audacity displayed by Modi, Amit Shah and BJP in the last 4 years, neglecting and insulting allies, no one would like stay put with BJP in NDA. Nitish Kumar's humiliation is the unforgettable example. But politics & power makes strange bed fellows. If Shiv Sena goes on its own and causes benefits to INC & NCP leading to defeat of BJP & Modi in 2019, Modi & Shah has to blame themselves for their headstrong behavior with allies.

All is 'NOT' well, that ends well

• On Mar 23, 2017, Mr. Ravindra Gaikwad, Siva Sena MP, had assaulted an Air India duty manager, hitting him with his footwear ‘25 times’ as he had not been provided a business class seat, for which he had an open ticket, in an all-economy Pune-Delhi flight (AI 852). The Delhi Police registered an FIR against Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad on Friday for assaulting an Air India employee on Thursday even as Air India and six other domestic airlines barred him from their flights. 
• Mr. Gaikwad’s actions were compounded by the fact that he brazenly justified his behaviour — of hitting an airline employee with his slippers after the latter said that he would complain to the Prime Minister. 
• In a rare instance, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju responded to the issue. Around November 2014, there was a lot of discussion on the demeanor of the passengers. Any passenger whose demeanor is bad is stopped from travelling now. An airline can stop a passenger from flying even after issuing a boarding pass. An MP is also a passenger, we can't have unequal treatment to people of different classes. 
• This comment did not go down well with the Shiv Sena MPs and its Minister for Heavy Industries Anant Geete. They quickly surrounded Mr. Raju, not allowing him to leave the House. Home Minister Rajnath Singh was seen moving protectively towards Mr. Raju. 
• While the Shiv Sena has said it does not condone his actions, its leader and MP, Sanjay Raut, has in bizarre fashion put the onus on Air India, asking it to think over “what would happen if the public decides to blacklist the airline”. 
• A defiant Mr. Gaikwad not only admitted that he had hit the Air India employee with his sandals '25 times', He also refused to apologise for his actions. Instead, he claimed that it was the airline that was at fault and should apologise to him.
• The MP’s letter states that he “regrets the incident,” but stops short of accepting guilt. Instead, he says investigations will reveal the truth. He requests Mr. Raju to lift the restrictions imposed on him by various airlines.
• Shiv Sena MPs and ministers heckled and gheraoed aviation minister Ashok Gajapati Raju in Lok Sabha and Raju had to be escorted to his chamber by BJP ministers. There was tremendous pressure on BJP from ally Shiv Sena, which is providing crucial support to the coalition government in Maharashtra, to get the ban lifted on Gaikwad. The government gave in to the Sena pressure.
• The government move came despite the AI management telling the aviation ministry that Gaikwad must apologise to the airline and its employees. AI cabin crew termed him a flight risk and the pilots said they did not want to fly him unless he apologised.
• Air India’s move comes a day after protests in Parliament by the Shiv Sena MPs, who threatened to disrupt the airline’s operations in Mumbai unless the ban on Gaikwad was revoked. The government gave in to the Sena pressure. 
• It is interesting to note that Gaikwad is first time MP and his performance dismal and below the average performance of the house, so far. Air lines 'no fly list' is only passenger safety measure and not a punishment. Modi has to explain how one minister (Anant Geete) attacking another minister (Ashok Gajapati Raju) and Shiv Sena's 'goondagiri' in Lok Sabha is tolerated.

My View:
In this episode while there was no provocation from Air India. Mr. Gaikwad flared up for no reason and behaved like a 'goonda' hitting AI employee with sandal 25 times and see his audacity to justify in front TV cameras. One minister gheraoing another minister on the floor of the house in unprecendented and unacceptable non sense. If our ever lecturing PM Modi has any sense, he should have ordered arrest of Gaikwad and dismissal of Anant Geete from his ministry.  It is no surprise that Modi & his henchmen will maintain stoic silence on this matter. Speaker Mahajan is just helpless. The least she should do is to refer the matter of unruly behavior by Sena batch to 'Privileges Committee'. Ironically, Gaikwad in his letter expressed only 'Regret' which is neither acceptance of guilt nor an apology. And our Civil Aviation Minister satisfied with that letter and directing Air India withdraw the 'no fly ban' on Gaikwad is total surrender of Modi & BJP to erring Gaikwad & Shiv Sena and falling at their feet. Shameless Modi is to swallow with pinch of salt. PM is weaker than a 'Goonda' and this man boasts of leading the nation to prosperity! Unbelievable! Ubiquitous  VIP culture in India must be disbanded, which is not only a public nuisance but also a national shame.