At Khed rally, Shinde takes dig at Uddhav: ‘My party real Shiv Sena’

“You may be heir to Bal Thackeray’s properties but not his ideology. He was your father, you lost the right to use his name when you deviated from his ideology after joining hands with the Congress and the NCP” Eknath Shinde Maharashtra CM

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde arrives to attend the Budget Session of Maharashtra Assembly, in Mumbai, Wednesday, March 8, 2023. (Photo: PTI)

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A fortnight after Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray held a rally in Ratnagiri district’s Khed, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday addressed a gathering at the same venue in a show of strength.

Stressing that his party is “the real Shiv Sena”, the Chief Minister took a dig at Thackeray, using terms such as “fuska baar” (a defused bomb) and “a circus” for his rally. The “huge turnout” at the Golibar Maidan on Sunday was an answer to Uddhav Thackeray, Shinde said. “They held a circus here and played the same tape that they keep using in Mumbai… only place changed this time. Now the same circus will take place everywhere in the state,” Shinde told the crowds.

Also Read | ‘Real Shiv Sena’ dispute: The criteria Election Commission used to decide in favour of Eknath Shinde faction

Underlining that he and his party members are “true followers” of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray, Shinde attacked Uddhav Thackeray. The former CM, he said, “mortgaged the party with the NCP and Congress for coming to power and deviated from Hindutva and Bal Thackeray’s ideology”.

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“They(Uddhav Thackeray) compromised everything for power. They mortgaged dhanush-baan (the party symbol of bow and arrow) and Shiv Sena with the NCP and Congress. I released the bow and arrow, which was in their possession. They betrayed Hindutva and Balasaheb’s ideology in 2019 when they joined hands for the sake of power,” Shinde said.

The two rallies held by Thackeray and Shinde assume significance with the Election Commission recognising the Shinde-led faction as the real Shiv Sena and the party symbol of bow and arrow being allotted to his party after months of dispute.

The rallies were considered to be a major show of strength for both factions in Konkan, which is considered to be the bastion of the undivided Shiv Sena. Thackeray held his rally in Khed on March 5 and launched a scathing attack on the Shinde-led Sena and its ally BJP. Shinde on Sunday addressed the crowds to counter the narrative in a sharp response.

The Chief Minister also accused Thackeray of attempting to destroy the career of his own party leaders. “You (Uddhav Thackeray) need to understand why people are leaving you in such a manner. I never saw a party leader who destroys the career of his own party leaders. Balasaheb was the one who encouraged Shiv Sainiks to grow. But you try to finish off the leaders who are growing. How can the party grow in such circumstances? You did the same with Raj Thackeray, Ramdas Kadam, Gulab Rao Patil, Gajanan Kirtikar, me, and many others,” he stressed.

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“You may be the heir of Bal Thackeray’s properties but not his ideology. He was your father, but for us and all the Shiv Sainiks, he was nothing less than a deity. Do not try to gain sympathy and support by repeating that he was your father. You lost the right to use his name when deviated from his ideology after joining hands with Congress and NCP,” Shinde said.