‘25 years of ties, but…’: Uddhav Thackeray on BJP after Congress meet

Uddhav Thackeray’s comments came after he met with several Congress leaders, including party general secretary KC Venugopal, on Monday.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday said the Shiv Sena (undivided) maintained a relationship with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for nearly three decades but still the BJP could not understand their “friendship and betrayed the Sena”.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray with Congress leaders at Matoshree in Mumbai on Monday.

Thackeray’s comments came after he met with several Congress leaders, including party general secretary KC Venugopal, on Monday at his residence Matoshree in Mumbai, as the Congress ramps up its efforts to build national unity within the opposition ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Thackeray accused the BJP of “misusing” federal agencies against the opposition parties while asserting their alliance would fight to “save” the democracy in the country.

“We maintained a relationship with the BJP for 25-30 years, but they did not understand who was a friend and who was an opponent. We will together fight the fight for democracy in the country,” the former Maharashtra chief minister said. The Sena and the BJP first came together in 1994.

He added that the BJP’s efforts to topple opposition governments is the “biggest betrayal” to all the other parties. “Last time when BJP chief JP Nadda came to Mumbai, he said that there will be only one party and that's BJP. This is the biggest betrayal to all other parties. The way they tried to finish Shiv Sena, and betrayed the party, they’re trying to do the same with other parties too,” Thackeray said.

The Shiv Sena spiralled into a political crisis after CM Eknath Shinde led a rebellion with the BJP last year that fractured the party and ousted Thackeray.

Meanwhile, in their meeting, Venugopal also invited Thackeray to meet senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi in Delhi.

In a reaction to the meeting, Union minister Anurag Thakur said that the “people will never accept the Mahathagbadhan". “All corrupt parties are trying to take each other's help but people have never supported them and never will,” the minister said.

Thakur also commented on the speculation of a possible alliance between the Nationalist Congress Party and the BJP. “In politics "discussions keep happening…some news should be enjoyed,” he told the reporters.