BJP, Sena slam Uddhav over Opposition meet at Patna

PDF President Mehbooba Mufti with Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and CPI General Secretary D Raja during a joint press conference after the Opposition meeting in Patna, on Friday. Pic/PTI

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena came down heavily on Uddhav Thackeray, who was seen sitting next to Mehbooba Mufti, the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, at the opposition parties meeting in Patna on Friday. Thackeray had hit the BJP hard for sharing power with Mufti whenever his Hindutva was questioned.

It was the BJP's turn on Friday to question Thackeray's compromise for power. The Shinde Sena joined the chorus, calling Uddhav's act as an insult to the late Balasaheb Thackeray's ideology and his support to abrogating article 370 from J&K.

Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis said, "In 2024, the people will give Modi ji more seats than 2019, and hence the opposition's conventions and meetings (for unity) will impact anything. However, I am surprised that Uddhav Thackeray ji, who had been taunting the BJP over Mehbooba Mufti, is not only now going with her, but today sat next to her. It shows that he is ready for all sorts of compromises to save his family and dynastic party. I don't think it will have any impact."

Shiv Sena minister Uday Samant launched a similar attack on Thackeray. He said sharing space with the people like Lalu Yadav who had abused Balasaheb Thackeray and talked of finishing Hindutva.

"Thackeray has betrayed Balasaheb ‘s ideology by forging an alliance with Yadav and Nitish. Did Thackeray talk about Hindutva in the meeting? in Maharashtra, he insists he hasn't abandoned Hindutva, but takes part in conspiracy to put an end to Hindutva. This is his double standard. Balasaheb wouldn't have allowed him to do so," said Samant.