Jalgaon (Maharashtra) [India], April 24 (ANI): With the Uddhav Thackeray faction’s plea, challenging last year’s change of guard in Maharashtra, pending arbitration in the Supreme Court, the former Maharashtra chief minister on Sunday said elections can happen any time and they were “prepared”. Addressing a public meeting in Jalgaon on Sunday, Uddhav, who now heads the Shiv Sena (UBT), said, “Elections [in Maharashtra] can happen at any time and we are prepared. The matter is in Supreme Court and we are hopeful that the eventual verdict will be in our favour. After that, anything can happen any time.”
The rift in undivided Shiv Sena led to present Chief Minister Eknath Shinde forming a breakaway front with over 40 loyalists. After camping in a hotel in BJP-ruled Assam over days, the breakaway camp eventually joined hands with the BJP to bring about the demise of the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) — an alliance of Congress, NCP and the Shiv Sena — government in Maharashtra.
The BJP and the rival Sena camp later formed the government and Eknath Shinde took oath as the chief minister, with former CM Devendra Fadnavis taking over as his deputy. While the Election Commission (EC), earlier this year, decided to allot the official ‘bow and arrow’ symbol of the Shiv Sena to the Shinde camp along with the original party name, the plea by the Uddhav camp challenging the change of guard and re-allotment of the party symbol is still sub judice at the apex court.
Uddhav claimed he did not allow injustice to any religion during his term in office. “Today, the Maha Vikas Aghadi has completed three years of its existence. They (BJP and the Shinde camp) accuse me of abandoning Hindutva but the truth is that I did not allow injustice to any religion, bearing true allegiance to the oath of office that I took. All places of worship were closed during the Covid-19 pandemic, without any discrimination,” he said.
Uddhav also dared the BJP’s state unit to declare that it would contest the next Maharashtra elections under the leadership of Eknath Shinde. Hitting out at the Shinde camp, Uddhav said, “You do not have any ideal of your own and neither do you have any leader. So, you steal others’ ideals and the names of someone’s father and mother to contest elections. I challenged the BJP earlier and will do so again. I dare them to declare that they will contest the coming elections under the leadership of Eknath Shinde,” he said. (ANI)
Not allowed injustice to be done to any religion during my tenure: Uddhav Thackeray
Jalgaon (Maharashtra) [India], April 23 (ANI): Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said that he did not allow injustice to be done to any religion during his tenure. While addressing a public meeting in Jalgaon, Uddhav Thackeray said, “Today Maha Vikas Aghadi completes three years. They accuse me that I left Hindutva but the truth is that I did not allow any injustice to any religion as per the oath of the Chief Minister. All religious places were closed during Covid without any discrimination”.
He further stated that BJP does not know anything about Hindutva. “They do not know what is Hindutva. They asked to stop cow slaughter in Maharashtra but it is not banned in Goa. So cow slaughter in one state and in another state they don’t want to ban and it is their principle,” Uddhav said.
“Veer Savarkar used to say that a cow can be the mother of a calf, but it is not our mother, it is true, today our mothers and sisters are being tortured but these people do not say anything about our worker Roshni Shinde, who was already undergoing treatment,” he added.
On the occasion, Uddhav Thackeray also challenged Maharashtra BJP to declare whether it will contest the next Maharashtra elections under the leadership of Eknath Shinde. “You do not have any ideals of yours, no leader of your own, so steal others’ ideals and steal someone’s mother’s name, steal someone’s father’s name and then contest elections. I have told and challenged the BJP earlier also and today I repeat it again that the Maharashtra BJP should declare whether it will contest the coming elections under the leadership of Eknath Shinde,” he said.
On the occasion, Uddhav Thackeray also mentioned that his Shiv Sena faction is ready for the elections. “Elections can happen at any time, even today, we are prepared. The matter is in Supreme Court, and we are hoping that the verdict will be in our favour. After that, anything can happen at any time,” he said. “These people hurl allegations at me that I ran the govt from my home. Yes, I ran the govt from my home but you can’t even run in that manner despite roaming from place to place. We are here just not for politics but for serving the people,” he added.
Earlier reacting to Uddhav Thackeray‘s comments that he has not left Hindutva, Shiv Sena leader Pawaskar said,” Uddhav Thackeray says he has not shunned Hindutva, so will he stop NCP’s Jitendra Ahwad from making such anti-Hindu remarks, lest, he should stop this drama that he hasn’t left Hindutva”. (ANI)
