PM Modi at an election rally in Dhule, Maharashtra
BJP's ally till last month, the Shiv Sena has advised Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "indulge in Maharashtra politics later" and focus his attention on the escalating cross-border attacks by Pakistan.
"Are we going to give Pakistan a befitting reply or just count the bodies of our soldiers? You can indulge in Maharashtra politics later on as well PM Modi, right now it is important to focus on what's happening at the border," the Sena said in this morning's edition of its mouthpiece, the Saamna.
The editorial also said, "Whether a 56-inch chest can save the country or not is debatable," seeming to borrow from the Opposition's criticism of the Prime Minister.
Congress spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed had commented yesterday that the repeated cross-border attacks in Kashmir proved that the Prime Minister's "56-inch chest has been reduced to just 5.6 inches."
"It is unfortunate that civilians are being killed. But our Prime Minister is neither tweeting about it nor mentioning it in his election speeches now. Why is he silent?" Mr Ahmed had asked.
In the campaign for the national election, which he swept, the PM had said leaders with 56-inch chests are needed to guide India.
Mr Modi's blitz of election rallies in Maharashtra in the last four days has drawn much comment.
"Can you imagine a Prime Minister holding 23 rallies for the Maharashtra assembly polls? Why is he so focused on Maharashtra?" Raj Thackeray, chief of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena was quoted as saying by a newspaper.
At an election rally yesterday, he too suggested that the PM's time would be better utilised on matters of national import like the attacks on the border.
Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar tweeted, "How does PM get so much time! He could have used this time for welfare of farmers and people."
Maharashtra votes on October 15 and the BJP - contesting the elections alone for the first time in 25 years after dumping the Shiv Sena over seat sharing - is unambiguous that PM Modi continues to be its primary vote catcher.
This week has seen among the gravest violations of a 2003 ceasefire between India and Pakistan. In a tough message, India said today that there will be no talks with Pakistan until firing stops at the border. It also warned of "heavy retaliation."