War of words between BJP and Shiv Sena at Aaj Tak Manthan Conclave

In a sharp attack on the BJP, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut has said Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi is ready to lead the country. That remark came at the Aaj Tak Manthan Conclave on Thursday.

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis hit back at the Shiv Sena during his session.

Asked about BJP's equations with its alliance partner Shiv Sena and the attack by the latter through its mouthpiece Saamna, the Maharashtra CM quipped, "You read it? I never read Saamna."

Elaborating on the BJP-Sena relations, he said the other party is playing both as a ruling and opposition party. "But the people don't like such politics," he said. Fadnavis revealed that the Sena ministers attack the BJP only through Saamna but they never say any unpleasant things in the cabinet meetings. "Balasaheb Thackeray never saw everything in a negative way. Even Uddhav Thackeray is not that way. There some leaders in Sena who think they are above their party," he said.

He reiterated that the Shiv Sena has been a friendly party for the last 25 years. The BJP and Sena believe in the same ideology, he added.