Sena tussle: Will ‘bounce back’ from ‘cruel’ EC decision, says Uddhav faction; slams ‘facilitator’ BJP

PTI, Oct 10, 2022, 4:10 PM IST

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The Shiv Sena on Monday said it is a ”bushfire” that can never be extinguished and promised to ”bounce back” from the Election Commission’s decision to freeze the party’s name and symbol, which the Uddhav Thackeray faction claimed was nothing short of ”injustice”.

The ECI had, on October 8, frozen the party’s ‘bow and arrow’ symbol as well as the use of its name ahead of the November 3 Andheri East Assembly bypoll in Mumbai.

In an editorial in party mouthpiece ‘Samaana’, it said, ”This (EC decision) is the sin of Delhi. Dishonest persons carried out this dishonesty. But we would like to assure we will stand strong despite innumerable catastrophes.” The EC took a ”cruel” decision to ”finish off the Shiv Sena founded by Bal Thackeray” because of the objections raised in front of it by the ”traitors” led by (Maharashtra Chief Minister) Eknath Shinde, the editorial alleged.

”With this decision, the Election Commission has spread darkness in Maharashtra. Fifty-six years ago, Balasaheb Thackeray lit a bushfire for Marathi identity and to give justice to the Marathi-speaking populace. But Eknath Shinde and 40 other traitors have become slaves of Delhi (Centre) to finish off the Shiv Sena,” it further claimed.

The names of Shinde and legislators of his faction will be written in ”black ink” in history as the ”crookedness of Aurangzeb” pales in comparison with those who sold Maharashtra’s self-esteem to occupy the CM’s post and get a few ministerial berths, the editorial claimed.

The ”real facilitator” of these chain of events is the Bharatiya Janata Party with its former state unit chief Chandrakant Patil himself claiming the plan to split the Shiv Sena was underway for the past two-and-half years, the Uddhav Thackeray faction alleged.

”(Union Home Minister) Amit Shah had said ‘raze the Shiv Sena to the ground’ and (Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra) Fadnavis said the Shiv Sena no longer exists. As they cannot take us on directly, they are taking refuge in courts and EC to fire at us,” the editorial said.

On talk that the EC decision was similar to the one taken in connection with Bihar’s Lok Janshakti Party, the editorial said the Shiv Sena was different from the former as it is a ”bushfire” that cannot be extinguished.

Despite the use of money and Central probe agencies, the Shiv Sena belongs to Bal Thackeray and lakhs of workers continue to swear allegiance to the party despite the defection of ”40 MLAs and 12 Members of Parliament”.

”The Election Commission’s decision is nothing but injustice. The EC is expected to work independently and should not come under any pressure. However, everything that happened here is the opposite,” the editorial alleged.

In a scathing attack on Shinde, the Thackeray faction said such a ”demon’ never existed in the state in the past 5,000 years, adding that even Pakistan will be as happy as Shinde on the EC decision.

The ”sin” committed by Shinde will be flattened by the ”curse” of Bal Thackeray, the Saamana editorial said.