Uddhav Thackeray defends Narendra Modi after Saamana attack

MUMBAI: After criticising Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in his party's mouthpiece Saamana for trying to play up his rescue efforts in Uttarakhand, Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray tempered down his tone on Tuesday, saying "Shiv Sena supports Modi in his endeavour".

An editorial in Saamana on Tuesday attacked Modi for his parochial approach in Uttarakhand, rescuing only Gujarati pilgrims who were stranded in the flood-ravaged state. Saamana even quoted some reports which said that the Gujarat Chief Minister and a team of bureaucrats managed to pull out 15,000 people in a day with chartered flights and luxury buses.

Speaking on the issue, executive editor of Saamana and Sena MP Sanjay Raut said, "The country looks to Modi as the prime ministerial candidate. How can he concentrate only on tourists from a particular state? We think this is wrong, that's what we have highlighted in today's editorial." The same editorial praised Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan for his "broad-minded" approach to the tragedy. "Chavan has shown Maharashtra's large-heartedness and magnanimity... not only for the people of this state stranded, but for victims from across the country," the editorial said. However, after it became evident that Sena was targeting Modi, Thackeray clarified to reporters that his party wasn't criticising Modi. "Modi is not our enemy. What we have said should not be distorted. Modi is doing very good work, but some actions of his publicists may boomerang," Thackeray said.