Why Did Uddhav Thackeray Criticize BJP and CM Fadnavis?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Uddhav Thackeray questions the legitimacy of BJP's Hindutva.
- Criticism of BJP's leader recruitment practices.
- Emphasis on loyalty among party workers.
- Alliance with Congress viewed as a response to BJP's betrayal.
- Call for unity and development in Nashik.
Nashik, Jan 9 (NationPress) Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray launched a fierce assault on Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis and the BJP on Friday. He challenged the legitimacy of the BJP's Hindutva, accusing them of "pilfering" leaders from other parties due to their own diminishing grassroots support.
Thackeray took a pointed jab at Fadnavis’s earlier assertion of "adopting" Nashik, ridiculing the BJP’s current recruitment tactics during a rally alongside his cousin, Raj Thackeray, head of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.
He openly questioned the BJP’s Hindutva credentials, alleging selective morality, and explained that his alliance with the Congress stemmed from the BJP "betraying him."
“When BJP collaborates with MIM, where does your Hindutva vanish?” he challenged. Thackeray accused the BJP of sacrificing ethics for power, asserting that the party has become a haven for corrupt elements. “The BJP requires 'tainted' individuals to operate their party. They are orchestrating a performance with such figures,” he stated.
He displayed empathy for loyal BJP workers, particularly referencing BJP legislator from Nashik, Devyani Farande, indicating that committed party members are being overshadowed by "middlemen and outsiders." Responding to former BJP minister Sudhir Mungantiwar’s remark that the BJP is like Shani Shingnapur (a village devoid of doors), Thackeray retorted, "Indeed, the BJP lacks doors."
Thackeray quipped, "Fadnavis spoke of adopting the city, but it appears they need to adopt political children too. Since they can't cultivate their own leaders, they are appropriating our 'children' (leaders)." He emphasized that while certain leaders he “nurtured” may have defected, those who genuinely built the party remain loyal to him. "Our platform is full. We are not short of loyalists," he added.
He criticized Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar for partisanship and the Election Commission for its silence. "If we don’t awaken today, we will be thrust into servitude," he cautioned the audience. He acknowledged that despite historical rifts (with cousin Raj Thackeray) and electoral setbacks, Shiv Sena remains unyielded in spirit.
"When we were apart, people questioned our separation. Now that we are united, they wonder about our alliance. We have merged not solely for power, but to foster your development,” he stated.
Reaffirming his commitment to the populace, Thackeray stressed that the Thackeray name is a promise. He implored future corporators to remember that the community holds them in high regard, urging citizens to vote for the united might of the Thackeray brothers to secure Nashik’s future.