Matoshree Has Closed Doors for Us, We Did Not Sever Ties: Devendra Fadnavis

Former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Wednesday that it is the Shiv Sena leadership which has turned its back on the BJP. Fadnavis, speaking to the media here, was replying to the question if he would visit `Matoshree’, the Mumbai residence of Sena president and chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, next.

The BJP leader recently met NCP chief Sharad Pawar at the latter’s residence in Mumbai. He also visited the Jalgaon residence of Eknath Khadse who quit the BJP last year to join Pawar’s party. “The context of these visits was different,” Fadnavis said.

“As far as Matoshree is concerned, it has shut its doors for us, we did not stop going there,” he added. The Sena parted ways with the BJP following a dispute over the chief minister’s post after the 2019 Assembly elections.

On Public Works Department Minister and Congress leader Ashok Chavan praising senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari, Fadnavis said, “I am happy that Ashok Chavan praised our leader. But don’t just praise him, work like him so that you (Chavan) too would be praised.” The COVID-19 vaccination drive will gather pace from the next month, he said. The Union government allowed vaccination for the 18-44 years age group on the states’ demand, he claimed.