Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray.
Credit: PTI Photo
Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar/Hingoli: Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday hit back at BJP and dubbed it a 'Bogus' Janata Party, days after the ruling party termed the Shiv Sena (UBT) led by him as a 'nakli' (fake) Sena.
Campaigning for Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) candidates in Marathwada region, Thackeray raked up the Adarsh Housing Society scam to target the BJP over the induction of former Congress leader Ashok Chavan into the party fold.
"The ruling party has also become a part of the multi-crore Adarsh Housing Society scam," he said.
Addressing a campaign rally in Hingoli for MVA nominee Nagesh Ashtikar, who belongs to Shiv Sena (UBT), Thackeray said that 'thieves' (a reference to MLAs who rebelled against him) have stolen the original Shiv Sena but he will not stay quiet until he settles the score.
Ashtikar is pitted against Baburao Kadam Kohalikar of Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
"(Prime Minister Narendra) Modi says our Shiv Sena is 'nakli' (fake) Shiv Sena. Modi doesn't know that BJP has become a Bogus Janata Party (BJP)," Thackeray said.
The former chief minister said he would have probably waived loans of farmers after the end of five years had there been no 'betrayal' against him.
He also dubbed the BJP a Maharashtra-baiter.
Thackeray took oath as the chief minister in November 2019 after joining hands with NCP (undivided) led by Sharad Pawar and Congress. The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by his party collapsed on June 30, 2022, after Eknath Shinde rebelled against Thackeray's leadership.
Thackeray raked up the Adarsh housing scam while addressing a press conference in Nanded city, the home turf of former chief minister Ashok Chavan, an accused in the case.
The scam pertains to the construction of a 31-storey posh building in south Mumbai allegedly on land owned by the Defence Ministry without getting the requisite permissions and clearances.
"The Adarsh scam case is yet to be decided by the court. Now, BJP has inducted Ashok Chavan into the party fold and made him a Rajya Sabha member. So, this way, BJP is also involved in the Adarsh scam now," Thackeray alleged.
There are videos (of BJP leaders) saying that Adarsh Society was formed, and the families of martyrs were fooled, but after Chavan joined the BJP, he was also praised on stage, he claimed.
Thackeray also took a dig at the state government's decision to provide a Y-plus security cover to Parth Pawar, the son of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.