“Balasaheb Would Have Demanded Shah's Resignation Over Pahalgam”: Shiv Sena's Fiery Editorial Slams Home Minister

In a scathing editorial in its mouthpiece Saamana, the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) has lashed out at Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the Pahalgam terror attack, stating that if Balasaheb Thackeray were alive today, he would have demanded Shah’s resignation.

The editorial was a direct response to Amit Shah’s recent comment that “Balasaheb Thackeray would have embraced PM Modi” for the success of Operation Sindoor. Saamana dismissed this as a “delusion,” asserting that the late Shiv Sena founder would have done just the opposite—publicly rebuked Shah and Modi for failing to prevent the attack that claimed the lives of 26 Hindu women.

🔥 Key Highlights from the Editorial:

1. “Balasaheb would have demanded Shah’s resignation”
“If Bal Thackeray were alive, he would have accused Amit Shah of failing the nation and demanded that he step down after the Pahalgam massacre.”

2. “Shah is the weakest Home Minister ever”
The editorial calls Shah’s tenure a failure in terms of internal security and law and order. It criticizes his tendency to act more as a political agent of Modi rather than an effective Home Minister.

3. “26 Hindu women killed, but no trace of terrorists”
The paper mocks the Home Ministry’s inability to trace the attackers, sarcastically asking:

“Did the terrorists vanish into thin air, into the ground, or have they joined BJP and become pure?”

4. “Operation Sindoor is political spectacle, not justice”
Saamana accuses the Modi government of exploiting Hindu sentiments through state-sponsored events like the Sindoor Yatra, while failing to ensure justice or national security.

5. “Bal Thackeray would have asked tough questions”

“Why have the Pahalgam attackers not been caught? Who is accountable? Is the Home Minister only meant to break opposition parties?”

6. “Modi hasn’t visited Pahalgam, Manipur, or Poonch”
The editorial slams PM Modi for skipping visits to violence-hit areas like Pahalgam, Manipur, and Poonch, while actively campaigning and hosting cultural events.

7. “Political opportunism over ideology”
Saamana also criticizes BJP for embracing tainted leaders from Congress and NCP, questioning the party’s hypocrisy on corruption and national security.

🗨️ The Takeaway

This editorial marks one of the most blistering political attacks by the Uddhav-led Shiv Sena against the BJP leadership in recent times. By invoking Balasaheb Thackeray's legacy, Saamana challenges Amit Shah’s narrative and accuses the Modi-Shah duo of misusing Hindu symbolism while failing the real test of governance—security and accountability after the Pahalgam attack.