The Shiv Sena on Monday vocally affirmed its support for the Narendra Modi government's decision to move to revoke Article 370 and bifurcate Jammu and Kashmir into two separate Union territories. A prominent Rajya Sabha member of the Shiv Sena declared “Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Balochistan were next”.
Sanjay Raut, a Rajya Sabha MP and executive editor of Saamana, the Shiv Sena's mouthpiece, was speaking after Home Minister Amit Shah announced the plans. Raut was quoted by ANI as saying, “Today, Jammu and Kashmir have been taken; tomorrow, Balochistan and PoK will be taken. I have faith that the prime minister of the country will fulfil the dreams of a united India (Akhand Hindustan).”
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray declared India had become “independent” in the true sense with the decisions on Jammu and Kashmir. "I am happy that such a big dream has come true. Today, our country has become fully independent," Thackeray told reporters at his residence here. He asked the opposition parties to "leave aside their political shoes" and support the sovereignty of India.
The Sena chief further said countries like the US "need not poke their nose into our issues".
"The Jammu and Kashmir issue is India's internal matter. We no more want to hear Pakistan-occupied territory, now its time to occupy Pakistan itself," Thackeray said.Uddhav declared the Modi government's move on Article 370 was a fulfilment of the dreams of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the first prime minister from the BJP.
Aaditya Thackeray, the chief of the Yuva Sena, the youth wing of the Shiv Sena, dubbed the moves on Jammu and Kashmir as a "moment of pride" and a "historic day" for the country. "Historic day for India. 370 scrapped and Jammu & Kashmir now truly a part of India. The path to a safer, progressive and an open J&K determined by citizens, and not anti-national separatists has been paved," he said in a tweet.
