Bal Thackeray fourth death anniversary: It’s like Nero fiddling when Rome burned, says Sena

As hundreds of supporters lined up at Shivaji Park in Mumbai for the fourth death anniversary of party founder Bal Thackeray, the Shiv Sena maintained its belligerence over the currency demonetisation issue which it has been opposing. Without naming any political party or leader, an editorial in the party mouthpiece described the demonetisation fracas and the government’s reaction to be akin to Nero fiddling as Rome burned.

“The citizens are troubled. the government has turned its citizens into beggars and put them on the road. While Rome was burning Nero was playing the fiddle. After making people bankrupt and turning them into beggars there are people who say that this is patriotism. The public says that we need someone like Bal Thackeray now who would silence such people,” the Shiv Sena said in an edit in its party mouthpiece Saamana.

The Sena over the past few weeks has constantly been taking on the BJP over the demonetisation issue and had also participated in the march undertaken by Mamata Banerjee to the President to protest the move.

The party said it had conveyed its disappointment to Home Minister Rajnath Singh during a phone call that took place with Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday night. “I told Rajnath Singh that their aim may be noble but then even the implementation has to be trouble free. The common citizen has suffered a lot. this has to stop somewhere,” the Shiv Sena president said at Shivaji Park after paying his respects at a memorial to Bal Thackeray.