Mumbai: Uddhav Thackeray has betrayed his father, says CM Eknath Shinde

CM Shinde said he will speak up when the time is right

Slamming the rival Shiv Sena chief, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that he wasn't worried about his position in the government as long as the people were with him. Shinde said his ex-boss Uddhav Thackeray was only interested in the money, his family and gaining power by being hand-in-hand with the parties that had opposed and rejected the Sena founder, the late Balasaheb Thackeray.

Shinde was addressing a moderate rally of his faction at Azad Maidan on Tuesday. The CM, who had left Uddhav causing the MVA downfall last year, justified his break-up in the name of saving Hindutva. He said Uddhav had betrayed his father's ideology by having a pact with the Congress, and recently with the socialist parties who had stopped the Rath Yatra and fired bullets on the kar sevaks during the Ayodhya Ram Mandir struggle.

The rally saw a massive crowd of party workers. Pics/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

"Earlier they said the government would fall. And then Ajit Pawar joined us. We have 210 MLAs with us. Now they say the CM would be replaced. But I say I'm not worried about my position as long as the people are with me," he said, adding that Uddhav and his ilk thought that only privileged people like them could be the CM, not a farmer's son like himself.

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"Remember that you don't own people. I wish that a common man like you in the audience becomes the CM again," he said, recalling how Uddhav had changed his position while pushing for his name for the CM instead of a non-Thackeray Sena leader in 2019. "He (Uddhav) wears so many masks. He doesn't let one know what is happening. Then also, he said a sainik would be the CM, but later said Sharad Pawar wanted him to hold that position. However, we know that he had sent two leaders to Pawar, urging him to recommend his (Uddhav's) name for the CM's post (in 2019)," he added, saying that he knew a lot and would speak about it at an appropriate time.

Shinde reiterated what he had been telling the rival group about the alleged betrayal and the money that changed hands during the power shift of 2022. "They (Thackeray) don't need khoke (box full of the money), but they need a container (full of the money)," he said as he recalled rival Sena's demand for the party fund of R50 crore that was lying in the bank account of the original party that stayed with the Shinde faction following the Election Commission verdict. He said there was an attempt to frame him in a conspiracy, but he has foiled it.

CM Shinde said Narendra Modi and the BJP-led alliance will continue being in power. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Shinde said the alliance of three parties was going forward on a developmental plank. He said Narendra Modi and the BJP-led alliance will be back in power not only next year, but for years and years after. "Double engine sarkaar is most required. We must win more than 45 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats. Please take our good work to the people. Reach every doorstep... " he appealed to the sainiks, advising them to not give up the social work agenda that was propagated by Balasaheb Thackeray.

Shinde said that the party would grow only when the chief took care of the workers. "I was a party worker. I'm still a worker and would be one come what may. I say that the leaders sitting on the dais and in front of me (the audience) are my CM. I don't behave like a CM at all. If I'm seen at international and national forums, I'm also seen inspecting public toilets and sanitation in the slums," he stated further.

Maratha quota promised

Shinde said the government was committed to giving Marathas a quota that would stand legal scrutiny. "We will not take away the quota of others. We will do justice to all," he said. To ensure the people of his resolve, the CM then went up to the Shivaji Maharaj statue to take an oath to fulfil the promise. "I will fight for it till the last drop of blood…" he said, appealing to Marathas to not commit suicide for the demand.

2022
Year Eknath Shinde took over as CM