Senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut Senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut

With each passing day, the unease between Maharashtra allies BJP and Shiv Sena is growing.

Today, minutes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the Dadri lynching incident ‘sad’, senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut responded with a controversial reference to the 2002 Gujarat riots.

“If the Prime Minister has made such a statement (on Dadri), it’s really unfortunate. The Narendra Modi that the world knows is by Godhra, for the same reason we respect him. If the same Narendra Modi has called the controversy surrounding Ghulam Ali sad, then it is unfortunate. I feel this is the statement of the country’s Prime Minister, not of Narendra Modi,” said Raut in an interview with news agency ANI.

Watch Video-PM Modi On Dadri Lynching: The Indian Express Analyses

Jis Narendra Modi ji ki pehchaan vishwa mein Godhra ki wajah se hui thi, aur usi wajah se hum Modi ji ko aadar bhi karte hain: Sanjay Raut — ANI (@ANI_news) October 14, 2015

Usi Modi ji ne agar Ghulam Ali aur Kasuri ji ke incident ko unfortunate kaha hai to hum sabke liye ye baat unfortunate hai: Sanjay Raut — ANI (@ANI_news) October 14, 2015

The remarks, which carry multiple meanings, is sure to rattle the BJP, which is already discussing probabilities of snapping ties with the Sena.

Things have not been comfortable between the two parties after Sena’s ink attack on Sudheendra Kulkarni, a former aide of LK Advani, for organising the book launch of former Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Kasuri. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had condemned Sena’s attack and provided security for the book launch which passed off smoothly.

Sena leaders have admitted in private that their party would be willing to leave the ruling coalition. Sena’s departure from the alliance could put the BJP government in a minority, but the BJP has hopes that the NCP would provide outside support in case a vote comes up in the state Assembly.

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