Sena vs Sena: Uddhav dumped ideology for power: Shinde; Ex-CM slams Modi, BJP

PTI, Jun 20, 2023, 8:05 AM IST

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday said his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray discarded Shiv Sena founder late Bal Thackeray’s ideology to join hands with the NCP and the Congress, while the latter hit out at PM Narendra Modi over his US tour and violence in Manipur as the two political rivals addressed separate events on the party’s foundation day.

Speaking at an event organised to mark the 57th foundation day of the Shiv Sena, Shinde launched a scathing attack on Uddhav Thackeray, who heads the Shiv Sena (UBT) faction, and said Bal Thackeray’s ideology was compromised for the chief minister’s chair.

The CM, whose faction has bee granted the original Shiv Sena name and the ‘bow and arrow’ symbol by the Election Commission, said the “traitor” charge often levelled against his supporters by the rival camp will not get people’s support. The event was held at the NESCO ground in Goregaon in northwest Mumbai.

“You discarded the principles of Balasaheb for power, for the sake of chair. Balasaheb once said that he would not allow the Shiv Sena to become the Congress and if that happens, he will shut his shop. But today, you (Uddhav) went with the NCP and the Congress. This is a betrayal on your side and that truth you spoke yesterday,” he said referring to a speech delivered by Uddhav Thackeray during Shiv Sena (UBT) plenary.

Shinde hit back at Uddhav Thackeray with “traitor” jibe.

“In your speech, you asked party workers to celebrate June 20 as the ‘gaddar divas’ (traitors’ day).You fumbled when you said ‘our’ betrayal is completing one year. But you immediately corrected yourself and blamed those leaders who left the party last year. It is you who is a traitor but you forgot the date,” the CM added.

Shinde said the allegation of being traitors levelled against him and other MLAs of his camp will not help Uddhav Thackeray gain public sympathy. “You will not get the sympathy of people as you have abandoned Balasaheb’s principles for power,” he added.

This was the first foundation day event addressed by Shinde after a split in the Shiv Sena and the collapse of the MVA (rpt MVA) government last year.

Speaking almost at the same time at an event organised by his faction on the Sena foundation day at Shanmukhanand Hall in Sion in central Mumbai, Uddhav Thackeray said if PM Modi’s supporters think he is like the Sun, then why is he not shining over violence-battered Manipur and questioned his visit to the US at a time when the north-eastern state is in the grip of ethnic clashes.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) president said the “double engine” government has got “derailed” in the BJP-ruled Manipur, and also took on his former ally over the issue of Hindutva. Manipur is burning but Modi is going to America, Uddhav Thackeray said ahead of the PM’s visit to the US from June 21-24.

“When I asked why Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not visiting the burning Manipur, but is keen on going to the US, I was countered with arguments like ‘one should spit at the Sun’. If your ‘guru’ is like the Sun, then why he is not shining over Manipur?” he asked.

Uddhav Thackeray also took a swipe at BJP’s pitch for “double engine” governments, saying in Manipur it seems to have derailed.

“Where is the double engine government (in Manipur)? It seems it has got derailed. Only one engine (a reference to Union Home Minister Amit Shah) visited Manipur, where is the other one,” he asked, taking a dig at Modi. The term “double engine” is used by BJP leaders to refer to the party being in power at the Centre as well as in a state. A large number of houses were burnt and more than 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki community people in Manipur that broke out over a month ago.

Army and paramilitary forces have been deployed to restore peace in the north-eastern state. Uddhav Thackeray said attacks on Hindus show failure of BJP’s Hindutva ideology. “Our Hindutva did not tell us to be happy when BJP leaders are getting attacked in Manipur. Be it Kashmir or Manipur, if Hindus are getting attacked, then BJP’s Hindutva ideology has failed,” the former CM said.

He ridiculed claim by Maharashtra’s deputy CM and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis that Modi developed anti-coronavirus vaccine.

The Bal Thackeray-founded party, which came into existence on June 19, 1966, made the pride of ‘Marathi manoos’ (Marathi speakers in Mumbai) the core plank of its politics and later added Hindutva to its ideology to expand mass base.

The Shiv Sena split in June last year after Shinde and 39 other MLAs of the party rebelled against then-chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and toppled the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition government of the undivided Sena, the NCP and the Congress.

Shinde took over as chief minister on June 30, 2022, with support from the BJP. Since then, both the factions have been trying to claim the mantle of the ‘true inheritor’ of Bal Thackeray’s legacy ahead of the next year’s Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly elections as well as the long-due civic polls in Mumbai.