Aaditya Thackeray says traitor short-term govt has no guts to hold elections

Accompanied by Thane MP Rajan Vichare, the Thackeray scion visited Navi Mumbai on Saturday to a rousing reception by party workers. He inaugurated various party shakhas and interacted with partymen. This was Aaditya’s second visit to the city district in a couple of months—he had visited earlier to attend a jobs fair organised by his party

NAVI MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) youth leader Aaditya Thackeray on Saturday declared that there was no accountability in many local bodies of the state due to there being no elected representatives after their term ended last year. “This is allowing the state government to resort to huge corruption,” he said. Aaditya also said that the government lacked the courage to hold elections, as the people would “show them their place”.

Thane, India - January, 14, 2023: An employment fair was organized on behalf of ShivSena (uddav balasaheb thackray)and YuvaSena at New Horizon School at Ghodbunder Road in Thane. It was inaugurated by YuvaSena chief Aditya Thackeray , in Thane, India, on,Saturday, January, 14, 2023. ( Praful Gangurde / HT Photo)

Accompanied by Thane MP Rajan Vichare, the Thackeray scion visited Navi Mumbai on Saturday to a rousing reception by party workers. He inaugurated various party shakhas and interacted with partymen. This was Aaditya’s second visit to the city district in a couple of months—he had visited earlier to attend a jobs fair organised by his party.

Stating that his second visit to Navi Mumbai was not for electoral gains, Thackeray said he was there due to the love of the people, the Sena (UBT)’s loyal party workers and the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi unity on display here. Elections in Navi Mumbai are due for almost three years, and Aaditya mentioned this, adding that the BJP-Shinde coalition did not “have the guts to hold elections”. “If they did, they would have done it long ago,” he said. “This traitor government simply can’t.”

Aaditya claimed that the delay in holding local body elections was deliberate. “The media should highlight this fact,” he said. “The BMC has just issued road tenders worth ₹6,000 crore. Similar works have been taken up in various municipal corporations. In the absence of elected representatives, who is sanctioning this? There are no corporators, no mayor, no standing committee. Public funds are being used sans any control or accountability. This indiscriminate spending is being done by the short-term government in the state.

“In Mumbai, funds are being diverted in the name of beautification of the city,” he added. “Money from schemes that are vital for citizens is being used for other works under some pretext or the other. Once this short-term government goes, who will be answerable? It is for this reason that I am demanding elections to the local bodies, and in places from where the traitor 40 MLAs and 13 MPS were elected. It is required to keep democracy alive.”

Asked if the Shiv Sena (UBT) planned to contest the teacher’s constituency seat from Nashik where controversy has arisen due to the Congress’ Satyajeet Tambe contesting as an independent, Aaditya said, “Who will contest is a minor issue. There can be some difference of opinion. Rahul Gandhi is on a Bharat Jodo Yatra. The decision on this will be taken by the Sena (UBT) chief and the MVA leaders after discussion.”

Dismissing the ruling coalition’s claim that the MVA was a “tukde tukde gang” which would not last, Aaditya said, “These are smokescreens employed by them to keep the real issues at bay. They don’t talk about inflation, unemployment or aggression from Karnataka on the Maharashtra-Karnataka border issue. Instead, they are busy creating controversies and dividing people on communal, caste and regional lines.”

Asked if the Enforcement Directorate summons to BMC commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal was to target the Thackerays, Aaditya said, “For the past 2.5 years, they have been trying to frame us. Those we supported for 25 years during their difficult times are trying to finish the family. But how a 32-year-old youth fought the government and scared it was visible to everyone in the Nagpur assembly session. Like me, we have lots of young Shiv Sainiks in the Yuva Sena who will take care of the family. We are being targeted for speaking the truth.”

Dismissing statements by the Eknath Shinde faction on the Uddhav faction being bound to lose the court battle on the name and election symbol of the original Shiv Sena, Aaditya quipped, “Don’t pay attention to them. They are saying all this to get into the cabinet. It’s a sort of a competition among them for more benefits.”

Asked if he would be present to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his imminent visit to Mumbai, Aaditya responded, “I am not the protocol minister anymore.”