Raj Thackeray, the firebrand leader of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, courted controversy by openly supporting Nupur Sharma, the former Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson whose comments on Prophet Mohammed snowballed into an international incident.
Thackeray’s comments gained political significance as they were made during a gathering of MNS’ all office-bearers from across the state, which was the first such after his two months’ hiatus from politics due to a hip surgery.
“Everybody asked Nupur Sharma to apologise…I supported her…as a matter of fact what she said has been earlier said by Muslim preacher Dr Zakir Naik. Nobody asked for an apology from Naik,” Thackeray said.
The MNS president also lashed out at the Owaisi brothers, Asaduddin and Akbaruddin of the AIMIM. “One of the Owaisi brothers calls our gods and goddesses ‘manhus’…no one asks for an apology from them,” he said.
While Thackeray was quite vocal about his support to Sharma, the MNS chief was comparatively quiet about the developments in Maharashtra politics. He said he regretted what was happening, because it was not politics but adjustments—which was not a culture in Maharashtra. “This is a temporary adjustment of power,” he said, in what could be a reference to the new Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government.
Thackeray, however, was animated about preparing his party for upcoming elections. “Please do not make adjustments in elections,” he told his party workers.
He also didn’t spare his cousin and former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.
“Till the time of Balasaheb (Thackeray), the formula between BJP and Shiv Sena was simple…the one who gets maximum seats gets the post of chief minister…how the Shiv Sena asked for the post of chief minister when BJP got more seats? They talked of a meeting (between Thackeray and then BJP president and union home minister Amit Shah)…but when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah addressed rallies declaring that Devendra Fadnavis would be the chief minister, there was no objection from them (Shiv Sena),” he said.
He justified his exit from Shiv Sena and said: “My leaving the Shiv Sena cannot be compared with that of Chhagan Bhujbal or Narayan Rane or Eknath Shinde, who walked over to join other parties and be in power…I told Balasaheb about my decision and he called me and hugged me and allowed me to leave…I did not join any party but formed my own.”