BJP helpless before its goondas, says Uddhav at Kankavli rally

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray criticized the BJP and its allies at a rally in Kankavli, mentioning the Ulhasnagar police station firing incident. He also slammed PM Modi for taking away a submarine tourism project from Maharashtra. Thackeray challenged the BJP to face the Shiv Sena openly without the support of various agencies. He warned that if the BJP loses power, these agencies would come after them. Thackeray is currently touring various parts of Maharashtra ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

MUMBAI: Speaking at a rally in Kankavli in Sindhudurg district ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray brought up the Ulhasnagar police station firing by a BJP MLA to pour scorn on the party. Slamming the BJP and the Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena for the shocking incident, he said he felt pity for the BJP which had to constantly face embarrassment on account of its allies.

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“The BJP is now helpless before goondas,” he said, bringing up the acts of the Shinde group and the firing by BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad on Shiv Sena former corporator Mahesh Gaikwad. “Ganpat Gaikwad shot Mahesh Gaikwad merely because his son was pushed,” he said. “Ganpat Gaikwad has also said that CM Eknath Shinde owed him crores of rupees, and that as long Shinde is CM, Maharashtra will have many goondas. This is shameful,” said Thackeray. “To finish the Shiv Sena, the BJP cultivated poison, and now it is helpless.”

Thackeray also slammed the BJP’s head, PM Narendra Modi, for whisking away the submarine tourism project to Gujarat which was to come to Sindhudurg district in Maharashtra. “Act like a prime minister, not the chief minister of Gujarat,” he said, adding that the Shiv Sena under his father had done lots for Gujarat, including aid after the Bhuj earthquake.

Modi has been repeatedly attacking dynastic politics and the Shiv Sena (UBT) has been facing taunts for promoting this. “We supported the BJP at a time when they were considered untouchables,” said Thackeray. “My father saved you (Modi) when you faced trouble during the tenure of Atal Behari Vajpayee as PM. And now you are out to destroy the son.” He challenged the BJP to face the Shiv Sena (UBT) openly “if they had any masculinity left” and face them without the ED, CBI, income-tax and police.

“If the BJP is so confident of crossing the 400-seat mark in the Lok Sabha, then why did it break Nitish Kumar away from the NDA?” he asked. “Why has it arrested Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren and why is it gunning for Arvind Kejriwal and damaging the Shiv Sena (UBT)?” Thackeray warned that if the BJP lost power, the same agencies would come after it.

Thackeray also visited Malvan and Sawantwadi and the famous temple of Goddess Bharadevi at Angnewadi with his wife Rashmi. The Shiv Sena (UBT) chief is touring various parts of the state, as the Lok Sabha election approaches. Sindhudurg district in coastal Maharashtra is the home of many Shiv Sainiks in Mumbai. Kankavli is the hometown of union minister Narayan Rane who is an arch-rival of the Thackeray family.