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Shiv Sena says sorry to Mahajan in row over Tata airline

The Shiv Sena on Thursday publicly apologised to the Bharatiya Janata Party's general secretary and member of Parliament Pramod Mahajan over the Tata airline controversy. The BJP and the Sena are partners in the ruling alliance in Maharashtra.

Sena's Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Nirupam, who is also the managing editor of the Shiv Sena's eveninger Dopohar Ka Saamna, had written an article alleging a nexus between Mahajan and a private airline chief, which, he opined, was instrumental in scuttling the Tata project.

Nirupam apologised after the Sena supremo Bal Thackeray hinted at it in a television interview. Mahajan had expressed displeasure over the matter, causing friction within the alliance.

Nirupam said his article was aimed at the BJP's dithering over the issue and not Mahajan.

Nirupam went on to allege that former aviation ministers Ghulam Nabi Azad and C M Ibrahim were to blame for the Tata withdrawal. Meanwhile, in a related development, Balasaheb's son Uddhav Thackeray met with Union Home Minister L K Advani in New Delhi for a 45-minute closed-door tete-a-tete on Thursday. He also met with the prime minister. It is learnt that the Mahajan issue figured prominently in the talks.

Compiled by Prassana D Zore from Marathi media