In a bid to embarrass Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde on Friday said that about a couple of months ago 50 people got together and broke a Dahi Handi.
Shinde was referring to the breakaway section of Shiv Sena comprising 40 MLAs and 10 Independents, which he said were carrying forward the ideals of late Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray and ‘Dharmaveer’ Anand Dighe, his late mentor, who was a firebrand Shiv Sainik.
Shinde, with the help of the BJP, toppled the Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government.
“You all know, more than one and a half months ago, 50 of us got together and broke a Dahi Handi,” Shinde, who heads the rebel Shiv Sena faction, said amid thunderous applause as he visited a series of Dahi Handi festival venues in the Mumbai metropolitan region.
On the other hand, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, accompanied by top BJP leaders, visited the Jamboree Maidan in Worli and broke a Dahi Handi of corruption. Incidentally, Worli is the constituency of Yuva Sena president Aaditya Thackeray - and traditionally here the festival was organised by Sachin Ahir, an NCP leader-turned-Shiv Sainik, however, this time Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar booked the venue in advance.
“Under the leadership of prime minister Narendra Modi, we are breaking the Dahi Handi of corruption. May Lord Krishna bless us so all the people get milk, curd and butter,” said Fadnavis.
Meanwhile, Aaditya too visited several places and the main event was held at the Shiv Sena Bhavan, which was the Dahi Handi of loyalty. “Today is not the day to bring activists face to face and argue. People are enjoying themselves, they are happy... It is not right to bring politics into everything,” Aaditya said.