The last few weeks have been particularly tough for the Shiv Sena.
While it was worried that it’s offshoot MNS has taken over its divisive agenda, it got a chance to regain the agenda when Maharashtra Chief Minister hinted that taxi drivers in Mumbai should learn Marathi to get a driving license.
While the CM quickly ate up his words, Shiv Sena said ‘why not’, even in the face of the entire nation (even it’s supporter BJP and RSS) boobooing it for talking in support of such a lame issue – at one point of time it looked as if it was Shivsena’s and not Congress’s doing.
Just when the license issue was dying, they got another issue to shout about. Not a single Pakistani player had been selected for the IPL, and it looked all stage managed. While many talked against this, Shahrukh Khan too decided to give his opinion. And SS was just waiting for this to happen. They immediately branded Shahrukh as Pakistani agent and what not.
Good for Shahrukh that he was not in India then. But his ‘My Name Is Khan’ was due for a release in weeks. Now they knew how to blackmail him. They would block the release of the film. Although Shahrukh Khan did appear in a channel and said that he shunned all bravery on Thursdays, he had the guts to not apologise to the SS boss, unlike the other Bollywood biggies like Amitabh Bacchan and even Karan Johar.
In fact, the good thing was that Rahul Gandhi happened to him. At the very same time, Rahul Gandhi and Congress decided to finally do some talking-shalking FOR Bihar. They never said a word when taxi drivers were beaten on the streets of Mumbai, when students were forced from taking Central examinations. No, they hadn’t suddenly found enlightenment, although that may have been one of the reasons (Rahul Gandhi lectured in Bodh Gaya, where Buddha had once found enlightenment). Bihar is going to elections and most of this is politics motivated. Now what more can you expect from politicians.
Rahul Gandhi decided to take a trip to Mumbai. And Shiv Sena, which was displeased that he had taken a stance for Biharis in the Marathis vs. Biharis fight, decided to show him black flags. Had Rahul Gandhi been a common Bihari, they would have shown him lathis.
But Rahul Gandhi sure knows to make headlines. While the SSians were busy showing black flags, Rahul Gandhi had travelled all over Mumbai over its lifeline – the Mumbai local – much to the amusement of the common Mumbaikar.
Jaws dropped. They had so many plans. Now all of them failed. They also declared that day that they will not oppose Shahrukh Khan’s movie. We don’t want to be the only ones fighting for the nation, they said.
But come the date for release of MNIS, and they were back on the streets, tearing the posters of the movie, threatening exhibitors, and threatening Shahrukh.
All they could manage was to stop a few cinema halls from screening the movie, that too in Mumbai. On most others, and these were in majority, the movie went on to become housefull.
Jaws dropped again.
Thankfully this time SS got a chance to save face. Pune bombings happened. Everyone was talking about the more important issue of national security rather than whether your taxi driver should be able to communicate in Marathi or whether you should go watch MNIS.
Looks like SS has learnt a lesson this time because they haven’t again started on “See we told you. Don’t allow outsiders (both within and outside the country) into Maharashtra. It is they who drop bombs, accelerate the taxi meter, watch Shahrukh movies. We told you, you see.”
Yet another take on Shiv Sena’s sibling:
ItyaAdi 