Uddhav calls CM the ‘new slave of BJP’, terms Shinde Sena event ‘crowd of looters’

The UBT Sena chief also took a dig at Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over his statement on Sunday that it was PM Modi who made the vaccine for Covid-19.

“Fadnavis’s speech looked like a comedy show yesterday. If he (Modi) invented Covid vaccine, then what would scientists and big companies be doing then? What kind of andh bhakti (blind following) is this? These andh bhakts (blind followers) need a vaccine and counselling,” Thackeray said.

Referring to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s statement abroad that PM Modi thinks he runs the universe, Uddhav said, “I think what Gandhi said is right, if he runs the universe, then of course he can produce the vaccine.”

During his 20 minutes of address, Uddhav also launched an all out attack on the Shinde-led Sena and the Sena foundation day organised by them, terming it an “event of looters”. “The crowd in Goregaon is not the crowd of people, that is the crowd of looters,” Uddhav said.

For first time since the inception of Shiv Sena in 1966, two events to mark its foundation day held on Monday. While Uddhav-led Sena held the event at Shanmukhanand hall, CM Shinde-led Sena held it at NESCO Exhibition centre in Goregaon.

He also reiterated that June 20 is “traitors day” as it was on that day Shinde and other Sena legislators launched a rebellion against Uddhav that led to a vertical split in the party.

Uddhav also took a potshot at Union Home Minister Amit Shah saying even as the former has lost everything, Shah has to come here and keep chanting his name. “They stole our party name and poll symbol. Attempted to steal my father (Bal Thackeray). Still why Amit Shah has to come here and kept chanted Uddhav Thackeray. Instead of chanting my name, you should chant (Lord) Ram’s name. I don’t have anything right now still, why does everyone have to chant my name? It is because of the support of the cadre and people I have. They can take away everything but not the support base of the party,” Uddhav said.

Thackeray also took a swipe at BJP’s pitch for “double engine” governments, saying in Manipur it seems to have derailed.

“Where is the double engine government (in Manipur)? It seems it has got derailed. Only one engine (a reference to Union Home Minister Amit Shah) visited Manipur, where is the other one,” he asked, taking a dig at Modi.

The term “double engine” is used by BJP leaders to refer to the party being in power at the Centre as well as in a state.

Thackeray said attacks on Hindus show failure of BJP’s Hindutva ideology. “Our Hindutva did not tell us to be happy when BJP leaders are getting attacked in Manipur. Be it Kashmir or Manipur, if Hindus are getting attacked, then BJP’s Hindutva ideology has failed,” the former CM said.