Shiv Sena sees Owaisi as ‘behind the scene facilitator’ of BJP

It accuses AIMIM of splitting minority votes by ‘heightening communal tensions’ ahead of U.P. Assembly polls

The Shiv Sena has lashed out at All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi for allegedly heightening communal tensions ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections slated next year. It said he was nothing but a “behind the scene facilitator” of the BJP and of the saffron party’s successful political journey in the country.

In its mouthpiece Saamana, the Sena, which shares power in Maharashtra with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress, came down heavily on Mr. Owaisi’s ‘provocative’ speeches during the latter’s campaigning in U.P., wherein slogans of ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ were allegedly raised by his supporters.

The Sena accused him and his party of functioning as a BJP’s contract team, whose objective was to split Muslim votes, thus helping the saffron party to coast to victory there.