A day ahead of the Mahayuti government presenting its first budget, Shiv Sena UBT president Uddhav Thackeray dared chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to announce the increased financial aid of Rs 2,100 to all eligible women under the Ladki Bahin scheme from this month and to announce complete farm loan waivers. Thackeray also hit back at Fadnavis over his recent remarks that he was not Uddhav Thackeray to stall projects. Addressing party workers at Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Nirdhaar rally, Thackeray said, “He said he is not Uddhav Thackeray to stall projects. You can never be Uddhav Thackeray because only Uddhav Thackeray can take decisions to stall projects that harm the state.” “Devendra ji, if you want to become Uddhav Thackeray, then tomorrow while presenting the budget, make the farmers debt-free, the way I made them debt-free during the first state legislative session of my tenure. I had fulfilled the promise made in the manifesto of giving Shiv Bhojan Thali at Rs 10. Similarly you make announcement of increasing the financial aid of Rs 2,100 (under the Ladki Bahin) and then do comparison with me,” he said. The Mahayuti government had launched the Ladki Bahin Yojana in July 2024 where it provides Rs 1,500 per month to eligible women. In its poll manifesto ahead of the state Assembly elections, Mahayuti had promised to increase the amount to Rs 2,100. Recently, while talking about stopping certain decisions taken by the previous government led by then chief minister Eknath Shinde, Fadnavis said that he was not Uddhav Thackeray who would stall the works. In response to the remarks, Uddhav said, “I did not let the work stop during the Covid-19 pandemic, I did not let the Metro work stop and even the work of the coastal road was not allowed to stop. We had provided Maharashtra with services and facilities that you would never have provided in your life, even in hospitals. You are not Uddhav Thackeray because, I did not do any dirty work for my employers’ friends.” “I put stay on the Aarey Metro car shed because it could have been built in Kanjurmarg land, which has now been given to Adani. You are not Uddhav Thackeray and can never be,” said Thackeray. Vowing to come back to power in the state and alleging that the BJP is indulging in caste politics, the Sena UBT chief said, “We will again come to power in Maharashtra. I will not spare them. We will say Jai Shri Ram, but we will also make BJP say Jai Shivaji, Jai Bhavani. We will build a temple of Shivaji Maharaj in every district.” Claiming that it is a fake narrative that the BJP is patriotic, he said, “The Shiv Sena chief's stance was that we should not play a match with Pakistan until Pakistan takes a good stand regarding our country.” On why did Uddhav Thackeray did not go for Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, Uddhav said, “We follow Mohan Bhagwat. We do what he does. If Mohan Bhagwat does not go, how can I go to Prayagraj.”
