Maharashtra Ruling Allies BJP, Shiv Sena Clash Over Credit For Kashmir Tourist Airlift

A war of credit has emerged between the ruling Mahayuti allies, the BJP and the Shiv Sena, over the airlifting of tourists from Kashmir to Maharashtra following the recent terror attack in Pahalgam.

On Friday, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) announced on social media platform X that 500 tourists had been brought back to the state on special flights arranged by the government, under the direction of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. However, the Shiv Sena attributed the operation to Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

According to the Shiv Sena, 520 passengers were airlifted from Srinagar on four different flights, with Shinde personally overseeing the relief efforts.

A representative from Shinde’s office further claimed that the Shiv Sena bore the full cost of air travel for all 520 tourists.

Meanwhile, the CMO statement said Fadnavis reviewed the situation with cabinet minister Girish Mahajan on Thursday. If more flights were needed to bring back the remaining tourists, the state government will bear the expenses, Fadnavis was quoted as saying.

Immediately after the attack, the Maharashtra government launched efforts to bring back tourists from J&K, with Fadnavis on Wednesday deputing Mahajan for coordination.

On Wednesday, the government announced that cabinet ministers Ashish Shelar and Mangal Prabhat Lodha were at Mumbai airport for coordination when bodies of those killed in the attack were flown in.

The Shiv Sena deployed its ministers Gulabrao Patil and Yogesh Kadam at the airport. Shinde himself left for Srinagar on Wednesday to coordinate the efforts to bring back the tourists to the state and camped there for two days.

The apparent game of one-upmanship between the ruling allies over the evacuation of tourists from Kashmir has drawn sharp criticism from the opposition.

On Thursday, Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar accused members of the ruling alliance of using a tragic incident for self-promotion. He alleged that instead of offering support to the victims and their families, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde made an unnecessary visit to Kashmir in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack. Wadettiwar, who leads the Congress Legislature Party in Maharashtra, said the focus should have been on comforting those grieving or injured.

At the same time, the Shiv Sena targeted its rival faction, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), for its silence on the issue. With Thackeray and his family currently overseas, Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske questioned their absence during the crisis.

“While Prime Minister Narendra Modi cut short his foreign visit and Union Home Minister Amit Shah rushed to Pahalgam, Eknath Shinde immediately flew to Srinagar to oversee relief efforts and ensure the safety of Marathi tourists,” said Mhaske. “But what did the Thackeray family do? They’re enjoying the cool breeze of Europe.”