Shinde chants “Jai Gujarat”, draws flak from Oppn

Shinde was addressing a gathering during the inauguration of the Jairaj Sports and Convention Centre in Pune, built by the Gujarati community

Mumbai: Deputy chief minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde on Friday ended a speech at an event in Pune attended by union home minister Amit Shah with the slogan “Jai Gujarat”, setting off a controversy with opposition parties slamming him and alleging that his real face had been revealed as he had shown his loyalty to Shah who hails from Gujarat. Shinde, however, defended the action in the evening, saying he had simply hailed the Gujarati community as he was attending their function.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurates the newly constructed Jairaj Sports and Convention Centre in Pune on Friday. Maharashtra deputy chief ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar also present. (ANI)

Shinde, while addressing a gathering during the inauguration of the Jairaj Sports and Convention Centre in Pune, built by the Gujarati community, ended his speech saying, “Jai Hind, Jai Maharashtra, Jai Gujarat.”

His remarks came amid a row in Maharashtra over the imposition of Hindi in schools and violent incidents in Bhayandar and Pune, wherein shopkeepers and traders were attacked for refusing to speak in Marathi.

After videos of Shinde’s speech surfaced on social media, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut referred to the Shinde-led Shiv Sena as (Amit) Shah Sena, and said, “It is not surprising. Shinde’s Sena was born in Gujarat with Shah’s blessings.”

Raut was referring to events during the split in the Shiv Sena in 2022, when Shinde and MLAs from his faction were holed up in Surat.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) MP also posted two separate videos of Shinde’s speech in Pune on social media, saying, “Shah Sena! Amit Shah’s duplicate’s Shiv Sena’s true face was exposed today. In Pune this man (Eknath Shinde) gave the slogan ‘Jai Gujarat’! What to do? How can this man remain in the Maharashtra cabinet.”

NCP (SP) national spokesperson Clyde Crasto said though the Shiv Sena claimed to represent the Marathi manoos, they were lusting for power and trying to please Amit Shah.

“When Eknath Shinde was made chief minister, many projects meant for Maharashtra went to Gujarat. Now, it is proved that Shinde was working for the benefit of Gujarat,” Crasto said.

State Congress chief spokesperson Atul Londhe said Shinde was only saluting his master Amit Shah as he wants to become chief minister again.

Shinde, who reached Mumbai in the evening, clarified his stand in a hurriedly convened press conference. The function had been organised by the Gujarati community and he was only appreciating them for building a sports complex which could be used by all, the deputy chief minister said.

“The Gujarati community has been living here for decades and contributed to the progress of Maharashtra,” Shinde said. He also showed a video of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray purportedly speaking at a function in Gujarat, where he too said “Jai Gujarat”.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis supported Shinde, saying leaders make remarks at functions they attend according to the sentiments of people in front of them. Hailing Gujarat was not the same as hating Maharashtra, he clarified.

“If Shinde has said so, it does not mean that he has no love for Marathi. Leaders speak according to the sentiments of people sitting in front of them. It is a narrow minded thought to criticise him for it,” Fadnavis said.

Even Sharad Pawar had said “Jai Karnataka” while inaugurating the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Chikodi in Karnataka in the past, he noted, adding, “That does not mean that he loves Karnataka more than Maharashtra.”

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut responded to Fadnavis’ remarks, saying Thackeray and Pawar had hailed Gujarat and Karnataka respectively when they were speaking in those states. “In the case of Shinde, he spoke in Pune which is in Maharashtra. What was the need to utter the slogan except to appease someone,” he said.

Meanwhile, NCP – the third major partner in the ruling alliance – said the controversy should have been avoided.

“Eknath Shinde is a responsible politician. It would have been better if he had avoided this,” said NCP spokesperson Sanjay Tatkare.