Rival Shiv Sena leaders Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray traded barbs at their Dussehra rallies on Saturday evening. With the Maharashtra Assembly elections around the corner, the two leaders are focusing their attacks on development issues while trying to play the touchy “who is the real Shiv Sena” card.
DHARAVI REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT
Speaking at a Dussehra event at Azad Maidan, Shiv Sena chief and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde took aim at his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray on a range of issues from governance to politics.
Eknath Shinde criticized Uddhav for the latter criticism of the Dharavi slum redevelopment projectowned by the Adani Group.
Shinde said that when Thackeray was the Chief Minister, he wanted only the deserving citizens of Dharavi to be rehabilitated. After he became the Chief Minister, a decision was taken to rehabilitate all 2.10 lakh residents of Dharavi, Shinde said.
“You were in power for 25 years but you did not prioritize the happiness of the people. You built bungalow after bungalow while the residents of Dharavi remained in slums,” said Shinde.
Shinde asserted that the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance (MVA) had used the break for infrastructure projects in Mumbai and Maharashtra, which they “failed”.
At his Dussehra event at Dadar’s Shivaji Park, Uddhav Thackeray accused the Shinde government of “selling” Dharavi to Adani.
“I am not fighting for myself, I am fighting for all of you. They have sold Dharavi to Adani and the people of Dharavi are facing many problems. I assure you all and I promise you that when we come to power I will cancel this Adani project in Dharavi,” said Uddhav Thackeray.
“Tata gave us salt as a spice for our food. But some industrialists are taking away the fields of Mumbai,” said Thackeray in his speech, without naming anyone.
TRAITOR JIBES
Eknath Shinde also took part in Uddhav Thackeray’s association with the Congress, saying. “true Shiv Sainiks never leave their base or ideology”.
Shinde said the rebellion he led “liberated the Shiv Sena” from those who betrayed the intentions of party founder Bal Thackeray.
Uddhav Thackeray, on the other hand, called the Shinde-led Shiv Sena a “dumb”. “The son of Abdalis of Delhi wanted to reduce me. But you all (Shiv Sainiks) are with me like Maa Jagdambe and give me strength,” he said.
MAHARASHTRA ELECTIONS
Talking about the elections, Eknath Shinde said that the MVA’s Lok Sabha performance in Maharashtra “happened by accident” and that the state will see. duplicate of Haryanawhere the BJP returned to power for the third time.
The opposition party Maha Vikas Aghadi won 30 of the 48 seats in the Lok Sabha elections, while the BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP combine could win only 17.
“Everyone knows whose votes led to your victory. Iqbal Musa, accused of bombing, took part in campaigning. Pakistan flag is visible in your campaigns. Congratulations on the votes you got after harassing (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi and (Union House). Minister Amit ) Shah and left Hindutva,” he said.
“There is no difference between MIM (AIMIM) and Sena UBT,” Shinde said, referring to the Muslim votes Sena UBT got in the Lok Sabha elections.
Uddhav Thackeray, on the other hand, took a dig at his former friend the BJP, saying the party should be ashamed of calling itself “Bharatiya”. He also likened it to the Kauravas, accusing it of showing arrogance.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) chief also asked the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), BJP and Shiv Sena’s ideological parent, whether it accepts today’s “hybrid BJP”.
“I respect RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. But I don’t like his views. He says come together to save Hindutva. Why didn’t you or Modi save Hindutva in the last 10 years?” he asked.
Uddhav Thackeray also raised the issue of the collapse of the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Sindhudurg district. He promised to build temples for the Maratha king in all the districts of the kingdom after he came to power.
Source link