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Shiv Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray speaks at a meeting of party office-bearers and public representatives, in Mumbai on June 24, 2023. (PTI)
The comparison may backfire on Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray and other opposition parties, since the Wagner Group is essentially a private army of mercenaries that marched on Moscow and later retreated, with its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin accepting a Kremlin deal to go into exile
In a bizarre comparison, the Saamana mouthpiece of Shiv Sena-UBT leader Uddhav Thackeray has called the Opposition bloc that participated in the June 23 Patna meeting the “Wagner Group of India”, claiming it would bring down the Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre.
“The ‘Wagner Group’ came together to challenge Modi’s power in Patna. This group is not for rent, it is important. Like (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, Modi will also have to go, but through democratic means. The ‘Wagner Group’ in Patna has given these indications!” an editorial in the newspaper said.
The comparison may backfire on opposition parties since the Wagner Group is essentially a private army of mercenaries led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, who ordered his troops to march on Moscow on Saturday. Prigozhin later reached a deal with the Kremlin to go into exile.
“A long meeting of 17 major political parties was held in Patna on Friday. Five sitting Chief Ministers and as many former chief ministers were present in it. It was decided in this meeting to defeat Prime Minister Modi’s BJP in a one-on-one match against the Bharatiya Janata Party in the 2024 general elections. This is good news from the point of view of democracy,” the editorial said.
“Home Minister Amit Shah responded to this meeting as expected. Amit Shah said, ‘Opposition people gathered for a photo and no matter how many opposition parties come together, it is certain that the BJP will win more than 300 seats’. Who is the ‘photo lover’ in the country?” it asked.
The editorial also insinuated that groups supporting the BJP “will strike first”.
“Modi-Shah have prepared a large number of mercenaries to beat the drum of victory, to pressurise the voters. It is these mercenaries who will strike first at him. A direct example of this is currently seen in Russia. Like Putin, Modi-Shah are also trying to bring dictatorship, totalitarianism. For this, they have to take over all the national systems. Raised hired men around him (sic), those hired men sold the wealth of the country,” it said.
“What is happening in Putin’s country today? The army called ‘Wagner Group’, prepared by Putin for his own convenience, declared a rebellion against him. Putin’s private army took to the streets to overthrow the regime of his dictatorial government and stage a coup d’état in Russia. This army was advancing to capture Moscow,” it added.
The editorial further claimed that visuals of Opposition leaders coming together in Patna had led to a drop of 100 seats in BJP’s target for Lok Sabha elections 2024. BJP president JP Nadda had previously said the party will win 400+ seats in the Lok Sabha, but Amit Shah has now downgraded the target to 300, it said.
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