On the day the Shiv Sena turned 57 (on Monday), arch-political rivals Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde claimed the legacy of Balasaheb Thackeray and launched scathing attacks at each other in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and Vidhan Sabha polls in Maharashtra.
Both Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Shinde and Shiv Sena (UBT supremo Thackeray staged a massive show of strength at the Nesco Complex at Goregaon and Shanmukhananda Hall at King’s Circle, respectively.
“These 57 years have been a story of blood and sweat…you can steal the photo of Balasaheb…but you cannot steal Balasaheb from the hearts of people…come what may, the Shiv Sena is not rattled…,” Uddhav said.
In retaliation, Shinde said that Thackeray had pledged the bow and arrow - the symbol of the Shiv Sena - which he and his party claimed back. “You deviated from the ideals of Balasaheb,” he said.
While June 19, 1956, happens to be the foundation day of the Shiv Sena, it was on June 20, 2022, that Shinde rebelled and toppled the Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi, only to become the Chief Minister on June 30, 2022, with the support of BJP.
On the other hand, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP, the bete noire of the Thackerays, lashed out at the former Chief Minister for repeatedly targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “If you try to spit on the sun it will fall back on your face…our Modi ji is like a Sun, don’t try to spit, it will fall on you,” he said.
The Shinde-Fadnavis duo, also quoted from the autobiography of NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, the chief architect of MVA, on Thackeray.
“You (Thackeray) came to the Mantralaya only twice while you served as Chief Minister…and this I am not saying but it is Pawar saheb who has written this in his autobiography,” said Shinde.
“I am not saying this…his leader (NCP supremo and MVA chief architect) Sharad Pawar in his autobiography has mentioned that he (Thackeray) went to Mantralaya twice in two-and-a-half years,” pointed out Fadnavis.