Tandav row: Shiv Sena condemns BJP on its stand; says 'never tolerated insult of Hindu gods'

Shiv Sena and BJP have locked horns over the Tandav row as Shiv Sena has questioned the BJP's position on the latest Amazon web series. Taking a swipe on the BJP's protests against the web series through its mouthpiece Saamana, Shiv Sena said that the saffron party has made a fool of itself and the party creates issues for entertaining people.

Shiv Sena added people don't like these shallow experiments of the BJP and they never tolerated disrespect towards Hindu gods and goddesses and cited the example of famous painter MF Hussain.

Saamana added even though Hussain was an exceptional artist, the Sena took offence to the manner in which Hindu gods and goddesses were portrayed in his paintings and ultimately the painter had to leave India.  It also questioned the BJP's selective outrage and added the disrespect towards gods and nation is not limited only to the Saif Ali Khan web series and was also applicable when a BJP spokesperson called Prime Minister Modi the 13th incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

After this editorial came out, BJP leader Ram Kadam hit out at Shiv Sena and alleged that the latter cares about Hindutva only in case of an upcoming election. The BJP leader who is leading the protests against the makers of Tandav said, "Whenever elections are around Sena thinks of HIndutva. How is it a laughing matter when BJP has hit the ground to protests the disrespect to Gods and Goddesses? It was only after 100 hours that the government was forced to take the FIR here. How low will the Sena stoop for power?"

The BJP leader from Maharashtra has also asked Saif Ali Khan to make his stand clear on the entire controversy and said, "Whenever an actor signs a film or a web series, he's narrated the script. A seasoned actor like Saif Ali Khan would have clearly known what the content of the series was and yet he agreed to do it. So, we have a question for Saif. Why didn't he say no to such a project where the religious sentiments of Hindus are being hurt? Why didn't he say such content is inappropriate? So, we want to know what the position of the talented actor is in this regard."

Also read: 'Tandav' makers remove contentious scene after spate of FIRs