 "Uddhav Thackeray makes 'courtesy visit' to Mamata Banerjee, says West Bengal CM is a brave and powerful leader")
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and his son Aditya met West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday who is on a visit to Mumbai to promote investment in her state_._
The meeting is likely to fuel speculations in the political circles with Shiv Sena and BJP’s strained relations in Maharashtra politics, and Sena’s increasingly vocal criticism of its ally in power at the state. The Sena chief paid a visit to Banerjee on Thursday afternoon at a south Mumbai hotel where she is staying during her visit to Mumbai, reported ANI. Shiv Sena has dubbed Thackeray’s meeting with Banerjee as a courtesy call and rubbished reports on any political agenda behind the visit. The meeting at the Trident Hotel lasted for three hours and the two leaders discussed demonetisation and poor implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), reported CNN-News 18
After the meeting, Thackeray said they didn’t discuss politics, but added that on issues such as the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and demonetisation, both the leaders share same views. “This was my first meeting with her. There was no political discussion, but we have same views on issues such as demonetisation and GST. Both of us have been speaking on these issues. This was only the first meeting, let’s see how the things shape up,” Thackeray told reporters. The two also discussed possible joint ‘sister cities’ initiatives between the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC). Both Sena and Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) have been at loggerheads with the BJP, and the Narendra Modi government on a slew of issues, including demonetisation and on making Aadhaar mandatory for availing benefits of government welfare schemes. On the other hand, Sena recently launched a fresh attack on the state government by releasing a booklet titled Ghotalebaaz BJP (Scamster BJP). The booklet lists all the scams that have taken place under the Devendra Fadnavis government in Maharashtra. Banerjee, who is in the city since Tuesday and expected to return to Kolkata on Friday, also met top industrialists and bankers on Wednesday as part of a roadshow, ahead of the fourth edition of the Bengal Global Business Summit, to be held in Kolkata in January, 2018. The Shiv Sena had last year teamed up with the TMC in a bid to take on the BJP over the issue of demonetisation. Thackeray had told media persons in November last year that if there was nothing wrong in Prime Minister Modi meeting (NCP chief) Sharad Pawar, then there was nothing wrong if the Sena held talks with Banerjee on a crucial issue. With inputs from PTI