On the first anniversary of the split in the Balasaheb Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, the Shiv Sena (UBT) headed by the late founder’s son Uddhav Thackeray called for June 20 to be declared as the ‘Jagatik Gaddar Din’ or 'World Traitors’ Day’.
It may be mentioned, over the last one year since the split started on June 20, 2022, leaders of Thackeray’s party had been calling Eknath Shinde, the Chief Minister, and the MPs and MLAs as “gaddars” (traitors) and that they took ‘khokhe’ (boxes of money) and gave slogans like 'pannas khokhe...ekdum okay'.
Shinde was sworn in as Chief Minister on June 30 after the Thackeray-headed Maha Vikas Aghadi was toppled.
The Election Commission (ECI) has legitimised Shinde’s faction as the real Shiv Sena and allotted the bow and arrow symbol whereas the group headed by Thackeray is now known as Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and uses the flaming torch symbol.
At the Maharashtra-level plenary of the Shiv Sena (UBT) on Sunday, Thackeray and his son and Yuva Sena President Aaditya Thackeray mentioned their demands about ‘World Traitor’s Day’.
Coinciding with the 57th foundation day of the saffron party on Monday, Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha member and chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut and Leader of Opposition in the Council Ambadas Danve took forward the demand.
In his speech, Aaditya has said: “Today (June 18) is Father's Day…but here are some people who steal fathers…they are gaddars”.
Thackeray, in his address said: “On June 19, we would celebrate the Shiv Sena ‘vardhapan din’ (foundation day)…on 20 June it's 'World Traitors’ Day.”
Taking it further, Raut said that Shiv Sena (UBT) will petition the United Nations and make a formal demand. “We will collect signatures of lakhs of people from Maharashtra and send them to the United Nations,” said Raut.
According to him, there are many instances of treason in the world and the people of Maharashtra have also witnessed one last year.
“When our party comes to power we shall make a beginning – June 19 shall be celebrated as ‘Loyalists Day’ and 20 June as the 'Traitors’ Day’… We shall make a bonfire of all these ‘gaddars’ (traitors) as it is done for the demon King Ravana,” Raut declared.
Danve, meanwhile, said that the then Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari celebrated his birthday on June 17 and he has written wishing him. “The ‘gaddari’ took place before him…in fact, it was he who supported the 40 ‘gaddars’,” he wrote. “I also request him to make a demand to the United Nations to declare June 20 as ‘World Traitors’ Day’…he may place the demand before Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said, adding that the political change in Maharashtra was discussed in 32 countries, and hence should be internationally recognised.
However, reacting to the development, Shinde Sena leaders like Uday Samant, Sanjay Shirsat, and Ramdas Kadam called Raut and others as the ‘the real ‘gaddars’ who went against the cause of Hindutva and the ideals of the late Balasaheb.
It may be mentioned, the NCP had earlier announced that it would observe ‘Traitors Day’ on June 20. “NCP workers should organise protests in every nook and corner of the state by displaying symbolic 'khoke' (boxes of money) based on which the Eknath Shinde government has come to power," state NCP President Jayant Patil said.