Launching a no-holds-barred attack on his predecessor and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray in his Dussehra address at Mumbai Azad Maidan Ground on Tuesday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said the former joined hands with the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), forsaking the party’s core Hindutva moorings, to fulfill his personal aspirations of becoming the CM.
Without naming Uddhav, who stepped down as CM after his Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government was reduced to a minority and eventually fell in the wake of his rebellion and switchover to the saffron camp, Shinde claimed that the former could join hands with Asaduddin Owaisi of the AIMIM or even with “Lashkar-e-Taiba or Hamas” if it suits his political ambitions.
“The people are aware of what is happening today. The lifelong ideals of our founder-leader Balasaheb Thackeray were compromised to satisfy someone’s lust for power and ambition of becoming the chief minister. They joined hands with the Congress, the same Congress which Balasaheb always kept us away from. Today, these people are sharing the stage with them,” Shinde said, railing against Uddhav.
“I won’t be surprised if they (Sena UBT) merge with the Congress. Instead of being proud Hindus, they consigned the core beliefs that the (undivided) Shiv Sena was founded on to the waters to stand with the socialists, their ideological opposites. They could even join hands with Owaisi or with terrorist organisations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hamas if it suits their political ambitions. Our Shiv Sena can and will never compromise with our founding ideals for the sake of power,” Shinde added.
Meanwhile, Uddhav, addressing a counter-rally on the occasion of Dussehra at Dadar’s Shivaji Park, dared CM Shinde to hold elections in the state for a people’s referendum on where the two Sena factions stand in terms of popularity and public support.
“Hold elections if you dare. The people of Maharashtra will tell you (Shinde) who is the real Shiv Sena. I challenge you to hold elections in Maharashtra,” Uddhav said.