Samajwadi Party Exits MVA After Shiv Sena (UBT) Leader Praises Babri Masjid Demolition

Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi on Saturday announced that his party would be withdrawing from Maharashtra's Opposition alliance, Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). Azmi’s decision followed controversial remarks made by Milind Narvekar, known to be a close aide to Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, who allegedly praised the demolition of the Babri Masjid.

On the 32nd anniversary of the mosque's demolition, Narvekar shared a post on social media that included a quote from Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray, reading, "I am proud of those who did this." The post also featured images of Uddhav Thackeray, Aaditya Thackeray, and Narvekar himself, prompting backlash from the Samajwadi Party.

"An advertisement was given by Shiv Sena (UBT) in a newspaper congratulating those who demolished the Babri Masjid. His (Uddhav Thackeray’s) aide has also posted on X hailing the demolition,” said Azmi. He questioned the MVA’s stance, adding, "If anyone in the MVA speaks such language, what is the difference between the BJP and them? Why should we stay with them?"

Rais Shaikh, another Samajwadi Party leader, expressed his concerns, highlighting the MVA's foundational principles of secularism and constitutional protection. "The MVA was formed on two key principles: protecting the Constitution and upholding secular values," Shaikh remarked. He further stated that if Shiv Sena (UBT) continued to adopt such radical views, it would force other coalition members to reconsider their position.

The Samajwadi Party’s withdrawal is a setback for the MVA, which had already faced difficulties in the recent Maharashtra Assembly elections. The Congress, which contested 103 seats, won only 16, while Shiv Sena (UBT) secured 20 of the 89 seats it contested. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) had a particularly poor showing, winning just 10 of the 87 seats it fielded candidates in.​