MNS, Shiv Sena raise stink with their fishy tales

The death of a penguin at Byculla zoo has triggered a war of words between the Shiv Sena and MNS, with the Raj Thackeray-led MNS demanding that the remaining penguins be sent back to their natural habitat so that they may survive and the Sena opposing the demand, with Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray telling the MNS to save itself first.

In a letter provocatively titled “Yeh toh hona hi tha” (This was bound to happen), MNS group leader Sandeep Deshpande asked Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) chief Ajoy Mehta to fix responsibility for the penguin’s death and send the remaining penguins back where they belong in order to save their lives.

“Mumbaikars’ Rs 25 crore has been wasted on a bal hatt (a child’s whim) and an innocent animal has lost its life. Hence, we demand that the remaining penguins be sent back to where they came from so that their lives are saved. The commissioner should clarify whose responsibility is this Yeh toh hona hi tha,” said Mr Deshpande. He pointed out that despite the MNS’ repeated warnings that Mumbai’s climate was not suitable for penguins and even animal welfare organisations seconding the same, the lives of these animals had been played with.

The MNS’ use of the phrase “Yeh toh hona hi tha” was a thinly-veiled attempt to get back at the Sena, which had used the same words to take a dig at the party when reports of a patch-up between Raj and Bollywood producer-director Karan Johar over the release of the latter’s film, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil had surfaced.