BJP’s Maharashtra state vice president Prasad Lad raked up controversy on Saturday by putting up a controversial poster across Mumbai depicting Late Bal Thackeray giving blessings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the demonetization move.
The posters in Marathi were put up in front of the Shiv Sena office in Dadar, Thackeray’s home in Bandra and other prominent places. It stated, “Black money finished, this is ache din.”
Interestingly, Lad a former NCP man had joined BJP only in April this year. His poster move is being considered as an attempt to get political mileage in order to woo the national leaders of the party.
Lad had contested the 2014 assembly polls as an NCP candidate from Sion constituency and was also chairman of MHADA's Mumbai Repair and Reconstruction Board in the Congress-NCP government. He had been the trustee of the popular Sidhivinayak temple.
In the legislative council polls held earlier this year, Lad had resigned from the NCP and contested independently. He lost despite the unofficial support of BJP.
Lad couldn’t be reached for comments. His associate who picked Lad’s phone admitted that posters had been put up at many places. BJP office bearers were clueless about Lad’s move.
Shivaji Park police denied having clue of any such posters or receiving any complaints from the public or the Shiv Sena regarding the posters. Shiv Sena leaders claimed that no complaint was made, however, civic authorities had removed the posters themselves. Sena leader Harshal Pradhan said, "The posters were removed by the BMC because they were unauthorised. All unauthorised posters have to be taken down."
Sources said that cops had removed the posters within hours of being put up to avoid any untoward incident from Shiv Sainiks. Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had been opposing the demonetization even as the party is BJP's alliance partner at the Centre and State.
Thackeray has even called for a Brexit-like referendum and had asked the prime minister to take Dr Manmohan Singh’s words seriously when the latter had termed the move a "monumental management failure" and a case of "organised loot and legalised plunder".
Taking a dig at the PM, Thackeray had even said there was no point in Modi becoming emotional at a time when people had tears in their eyes. "One person cannot take a decision for 125 crore people. Before taking the decision to demonetize the currency, people should have been taken into confidence," he said early this week.
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