Eknath Shinde interview: ‘Uddhav’s neck collar is no longer there, he is roaming around; I should get credit for that’

I would say that Hindu saints and Muslim maulvis should give more importance to development that is changing our lives. They should not get caught in this politics. Do you think people will trust those who are speaking the language of Pakistan, will they vote for those who are working or those who sit at home? The Opposition is scared.

📌 How are you responding to the Maratha reservation issue and people’s anger against the BJP because of that?

I don’t think there is a need to be angry with the BJP or Devendra Fadnavis ji because when he was the CM last time. I was also on the committee that for the first time did the work of giving reservation to Marathas and defending it in the High Court. After the change of government, it could not stand in the Supreme Court. So, it is the fault of the Maha Vikas Aghadi. When our government came, we said we gave 10% reservation. People are taking benefit of the same.

Those who should have given it did not and instead used the Maratha community. There are some 6 lakh objections on the matter of ‘sage soyare, a scrutiny of the same is underway. It was our thought that this 10 per cent reservation for Marathas should not be at the cost of reduction of reservation of any other community. And we have done that. Manoj Jarange Patil is not a political leader but he is fighting a social battle for the community and so whatever our government can do we will.

📌 But he is clearly angry with the BJP, we could sense it on the ground.

The decision was collectively taken by us. So, to be angry against any one person or party is not right. Patil is fighting a social battle for the betterment of the community and we are positively working on this. Whatever benefits are available to OBCs are being made available to the Maratha community. I would say that the Maratha community should be wary of people who do not work on giving anything but work towards creating a bad perception.

📌 OBC leaders see Maratha reservation as the community’s attempt to gain political power in the third tier of government.

Whatever 10% reservation the government has given, it is in education and jobs; so the OBCs should not be upset. We have not taken away anyone’s benefits but only given them additional. All the rifts between communities are being created by the Opposition. I think the communities are also aware and know who is working to meet their demands and who is working with the motive of use-and-throw.

I am clear that we will not hurt the interest of any other community and the government stands by it.

📌 Marathas in the Marathwada region are upset the PM did not refer to reservation in his rallies.

We have already given the reservation to the Maratha community. Since it has been given, maybe he did not think there was a need to speak about it again. Under exceptional and extraordinary circumstances, the government has the right to take a decision and it took the decision to provide reservation. However, if the PM speaks about it, such demands will start coming up everywhere.

📌 Would you attribute such demands for reservation from various communities in different parts of the country to the lack of employment opportunities for the youth?

Everyone thinks that because of reservation they will get a job or get an advantage in education, so they think that they should get it. However, in reservation, how many government jobs will there be? So what we have started is skill development and we are training people. There are jobs in the private sector but they need skill and we are doing the work of skilling. We have tied up with the Tata Group in Gadchiroli for this, and are doing it in other parts of the state as well.

📌 Since the split, you have always claimed you are the real Shiv Sena. Do you think these elections will reveal the real Shiv Sena in terms of who gets the people’s mandate?

As far as the real and fake Sena is concerned, I think that we are taking forward the ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray and what he did not approve of is being taken forward by the other side. They (Shiv Sena-UBT) don’t want Savarkar but Aurangzeb; such has their ideology changed and so people will think about it. We are also working on development. We are not sitting idle; you cannot run the state sitting at home, you have to be on the field. So who will they vote for, the one who works, or the one who sits at home or the one who creates obstacles in work?

📌 But Uddhav Thackeray is addressing lots of rallies…

For that, Dr Eknath Shinde is responsible. The neck collar is no longer there, and he is roaming around; I should get credit for that.

📌 There is confusion among people because of the splitting of parties, the movement of leaders from one party to the other, and cases getting dropped. How do you justify this?

Ajit Pawar said if he were the son of Sharad Pawar then would the latter have done this to him? He is also talented, ran the party, and has experience. So why was he oppressed? In our party, I had no ambition. But by pushing forward Aaditya, if you try to finish my career, that is wrong.

📌 Did Uddhav Thackeray promise you the CM post?

He did not want to become the CM, so I was the one to be made. He kept saying a Shiv Sainik will be made CM. Instead, he became the CM himself. And then he started preparing the ground for his son. They also had plans to put BJP leaders behind bars and to break the MLAs of BJP. Had Uddhav Thackeray worked and stood behind workers when he was the CM, the party would have been intact. The party was getting finished, workers were going to jail, they were not getting funds and there were other problems.

📌 Ravindra Waikar, your candidate from Mumbai North West, recently said he had been left with just two options: either go to jail or join a new party.

He was sent a notice from the Enforcement Directorate and was called, that is a fact. At a time when he should have got the party’s backing, I don’t think he got it. I studied his matter. Just by making allegations and sending notices, the person doesn’t become an accused; he needs moral support. He was told to face it and go to jail. Does any party leader say anything like that?

📌 Many statements have been made in this election to polarise on religious grounds …

To fight an election on religion or Hindu-Muslim polarisation is not right. We are contesting the election on the issue of development. People should vote based on facilities in their area, education for children and development work in their area. People will come during elections, scare you and tell you to do this or that but they should realise that many use them as vote banks. Muslims have been kept poor in the past. The Congress has not given a single seat to Muslims in Maharashtra. They should think about this too.

On the other hand, look at the schemes of Modi ji, everyone has benefitted from them and there has been no discrimination. So they must also think about why they should go against someone who is giving them benefits.

📌 In Maharashtra too, we see allegations of ‘love jihad’…

There have been several incidents of that kind and it should not happen. It is wrong. There are so many nationalist Muslims and they are our own. But those who stay here but speak the language of Pakistan, that is an issue. People should love India, why love Pakistan?

📌 What do you have to say about Congress leader Vijay Waddetiwar’s recent statement on the 26/ 11 terror attack?

Congress leaders have questioned whether Hemant Karkare (former Mumbai ATS chief) lost his life to Kasab’s bullets or if it was something else. What kind of questions are these? Hemant Karkare, Ashok Kamte, Vijay Salaskar, Tukaram Omble — all of them took Kasab’s bullets on their body but did not leave him. You are raising questions about his martyrdom. Those who claim they are heirs of Balasaheb Thackeray are today sitting with such people. Then you tell me who is real and who is fake.

📌 Hasn’t wrangling within the party and in the alliance made it difficult for your party in some seats, both in Mumbai and outside?

We will win all six seats in Mumbai and Thane is our fortress. People do not like drama and abuse. They look at who is working, and who is helping them. Who stands with them in the midnight is what matters.

There was some issue in Thane as BJP workers wanted their candidate. We told how our emotions are attached to the place and the seniors in the BJP understood. Now everything is sorted and there is no problem. Everyone is working for the alliance’s victory, including Ganesh Naik and Sanjeev Naik (Thane BJP leaders).

📌 But there seems to be sympathy for the Thackeray family …

People did not like the wrong way in which the government was formed in 2019. This whole sympathy thing is just a perception that has been created. They would have got more seats in the gram panchayat elections if there was sympathy. They were routed.

📌 Many attribute the low voter turnout to NDA supporters not turning up.

No, our workers have been told they should not get complacent and that they have to work hard for every vote and seat. Don’t become overconfident. It is getting better. Modiji has also said that don’t be overconfident. Get up and go vote first. People listen to Modiji and even I also have high regard for him. After Balasaheb Thackeray ji and Anand Dighe ji passed away, I feel I have got strong support from Modiji and Amit bhai (Union Home Minister Amit Shah). Before that I was alone.

📌 Farmers seem to have had a hard time; the cost of fertilisers and other inputs has gone up. But they are not getting a good price for onions or milk.

The government recently removed the export ban on onions. Even the ethanol issue has been sorted out. As for water, during the term of Fadnavis ji, we were working on the Marathwada water grid. The previous government stopped it. While the Central government gives Rs 6,000 to farmers annually, we also add Rs 6,000 to it, making it Rs 12,000 a year. We also give crop insurance at Re 1 and the government pays the premium. We have spent Rs 35,000 crore for farmers in the last 18-24 months.