Shiv Sena courts controversy by attaching Hindu and Party's name to govt scheme

The Shiv Sena no stranger to controversy has courted another one, On Thursday the Sena’s Transport Minister Diwakar Raote unveiled five schemes all of them begin like this, Hinduruday Samrat Shiv Sena Pramukh Balasaheb Thackeray which led to questions on whether a political party’s name can be given to a government scheme or be associated with a religious identity.

For starters Raote unveiled Hinduruday Samrat ShivSena Pramukh Balasaheb Thackeray Kanyadan Yojana, under which girl children born of employees working in State Transport will get 1 lakh when they are 21 years old.

The second scheme has been named as Hinduruday Samrat ShivSena Pramukh Balasaheb Thackeray Apghat Sahayta Nidhi Yojana. Under this scheme those passengers who die while travelling in State Transport buses will get Rs 10 lakh. While those who lose their limbs will get Rs 5 lakh, while a partial handicap would mean Rs 2.5 lakh compensation.

The third scheme similary starts with Hinduruday Samrat Shiv Sena Pramukh Balasaheb Thackeray Super speciality Hospital which involves creating a hospital for ST employees in Pune.

In the fourth scheme a new college will be created called Hinduruday Samrat Shiv Sena Pramukh Balasaheb Thackeray Automobile engineering college in Navi Mumbai.

The last scheme is called Hinduruday Samrat Shiv Sena Pramukh Balasaheb Thackeray Niradhar Swalabhan Yojana where widows of farmers who have lost their husbands will get financial help and permits to run Autorickshaws.

Maharashtra NCP leader and Party spokesperson Nawab Malik slammed the move calling it ‘illegal’. “This is a first you can’t put a party’s name to a government scheme or call it Hinduruday. This will be opposed by us. It is objectionable.”said Malik.

Raote however didn’t find anything wrong with the names of the schemes. “People know Balasheb Thackeray by this name only, so that is the name we have given.”said Raote.

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan said that they would object to the word ‘Hindu’ and the Shiv Sena’s party name being given to the scheme. “First of all we respect Balasaheb Thackeray but no party has ever given a religious name to a government scheme or named it after a party. This is not legally tenable and we will oppose it.”said Chavan.