3 min readNagpurDec 30, 2022 03:06 AM IST
First published on: Dec 29, 2022 at 08:20 PM IST
Alleging that those who do not have the courage to build anything “indulge in capturing other’s offices”, Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday said that Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat should be on alert as Chief Minister Eknath Shinde might usurp the Sangh office. The statement came hours after Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis visited Hedgewar Smruti Mandir, the memorial of RSS founder Dr K B Hedgewar, at Reshimbagh in Nagpur.
On Wednesday, both Sena factions had faced off in the BMC headquarters in south Mumbai over the control of the party office there. Speaking to mediapersons at the Vidhan Bhavan in Nagpur, Thackeray said: “Those do not have any courage to build anything indulge in stealing and capturing other’s offices. First they stole our leaders, stole the party and now, they are attempting to steal our party office.”
Without naming Shinde, he added, “I learnt that today that he visited the RSS office in Nagpur. The RSS should be careful, he can end up staking claim on its office too… He has an evil eye.”
Reacting to Thackeray’s barbs, state BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule accused him of changing colours quicker than a chameleon. “Thackeray had said several times in the past said that Dr Hedgewar Smruti Mandir was a place where one derives inspiration… He changes colours more than a chameleon for power,” he added.
Thackeray, meanwhile, demanded that the government should announce new schemes for Vidarbha in the remaining one-and-a-half day of the Winter Session of the legislature. “The government is yet to give a appropriate response on the supplementary demands of Rs 52,000 crore, incentives for Vidarbha and farmers hit due to unseasonal rain. There is unrest among the people of Vidarbha.”
He questioned the government on its stand over allegations of irregularities against ministers Uday Samant, Abdul Sattar and others, and sought to know if any action would be taken against them. “Every day, we are seeing a new minister’s name being linked to corruption. Projects are going out of the state… starting with the NIT land scam, corruption allegations were levelled against Abdul Sattar and then Uday Samant. People are watching what this government has been doing for last six months,” he claimed.
“If scams of only Shinde’s ministers are coming out, they should analyse why allegations are being levelled against only them… Who is creating trouble for them and if they are supporting them or wish to bury them,” he asked.
Thackeray also slammed the BJP on a Karnataka minister’s statement that Mumbai should be declared a Union Territory. “The BJP’s plot to break Mumbai and turn it into a Union Territory has been revealed by its minister,” he said.
Former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray. (File Photo) 
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