For a change, Mumbaikars will have a peaceful Valentine’s Day celebration tomorrow, thanks to a decision by the Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) not to carry out any protests.
In the past, both bodies have used force to protest at what they saw as a corrupting festivity. Both parties are perceived to have taken this new step to widen appeal from youths in particular and Mumbaikars in general, ahead of elections to the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation slated for 2012.
The Shiv Sena, defeated successively in the assembly and parliamentary elections in Maharashtra, has recently launched Aditya Thackeray, son of Sena executive president Uddhav and grandson of party supremo Bal Thackeray, as the chief of its youth wing, Yuva Sena, to attract youths to the party fold. Having recently scored politically by winning more seats for the Sena compared to his uncle and MNS chief, Raj Thackeray, in the recent elections to the Senate of the University of Mumbai, he has that his priority is to take up various problems faced by students and youths in Mumbai, not is opposition to events like Valentine’s Day.
The MNS was strongly opposing Valentine’s Day celebrations since its formation in 2006. Its spokesman, Shirish Parkar, said: “There has been a rising trend among youths in particular to celebrate Valentine’s Day and MNS has no objection to it. However, MNS strongly feels that youths from Maharashtra should equally participate in the celebration of festivals of Hindu and those of Maharashtra.”
Anant Gadgil, spokesman for the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee said “This is only because they see votes in doing so, in view of the coming civic elections. Sena and MNS are trying to avoid broken heart surgeries.”
Jitendra Avad, MLA from the Nationalist Congress Party, said: “It has become clear that they have lost ground among youngsters by the politics of hatred and to regain support, they are changing colours.&rdquo