Shinde completes two years in office, releases Dharmaveer 2 film poster taunting Uddhav

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde released the poster of Dharmaveer 2 with the tagline 'Traitors of Hindutva will not be spared', targeting Shiv Sena.

MUMBAI: Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who completed two years as chief minister on Sunday, released the poster of Dharmaveer 2 with the tagline ‘Traitors of Hindutva will not be spared’. The tagline directly taunts the Shiv Sena (UBT), whose commendable performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections has been dismissed by the Shinde Sena and BJP as being driven by Muslim votes.

Shinde completes two years in office, releases Dharmaveer 2 film poster taunting Uddhav

The movie will be strategically released before the state assembly polls but the actual release date chosen is the anniversary of the Quit India movement on August 9. The banner of the second version was launched at the CM’s official residence Varsha, with Bobby Deol as the chief guest and veteran actor Ashok Saraf as guest of honour.

The first Dharmaveer, a film on Shiv Sena Thane chief Anand Dighe, was released prior to Shinde’s rebellion and showcased him as Dighe’s heir. It attempted to justify Shinde’s “rebellion” against the then CM Uddhav Thackeray and his splitting of the original Shiv Sena.

Speaking at the function, Shinde said that his mentor Dighe “worked and lived for others”, and Bal Thackeray, Shiv Sena founder and Uddhav’s father, also taught Sainiks “to work for others”. “We will never compromise on the ideals of Balasaheb,” he declared.

A Shiv Sena leader said that the poster itself projected that the Shinde Sena was the real leader of Hindus while the Sena (UBT) had won because of Muslim votes.

On Sunday morning, the CM posted a laundry list of people who had supported him on social media platform X. “Over these two years, our esteemed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have placed their faith in us, providing continuous guidance and support,” said the post. “Our Deputy Chief Ministers, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, along with all our colleagues, have contributed valuable insights and cooperation. Thanks to the love and encouragement from the people of our state, the support of the Shiv Sainiks, and the excellent coordination among the parties in Mahayuti, we have been able to deliver on our promises. I must acknowledge the blessings of Shiv Sena Chief Balasaheb Thackeray and Dharmaveer Anand Dighe Saheb, which have guided us to remain steadfast on our path. We are moving forward, staying true to our ideology and culture and striving to create an inclusive model of development. We aim to earn your trust and blessings. I am deeply grateful to everyone who has supported me over the past two years.”