How many Dy CMs does the BJP want, mocks Thackeray

Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray was speaking at a joint meeting of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Sambhaji Brigade at Rang Sharda in Bandra West.

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday took several potshots at the BJP, mocking it for breaking parties among other things. He was speaking at a joint meeting of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Sambhaji Brigade at Rang Sharda in Bandra West.

The Sena (UBT) chief said that on August 30 and September 1, there would be a meeting of the united opposition alliance, INDIA, in Mumbai. “We are opponents of those who are against India,” he said. “PM Modi has made comments on this and likened us to the Indian Mujahideen. When PM Modi goes to the US, is he going as the head of the Indian Mujahideen?” (Vijay Bate/HT Photo)

The Sambhaji Brigade is a Hindutva organisation, which sided with the Sena (UBT) after the party split last year. Thackeray, in a reference to Friendship Day which is on August 6 every year, said that his friendship with Sambhaji Brigade was for the saffron flag. “We must stick to the saffron flag and not go off track,” he said.

The crux of Thackeray’s speech consisted of hitting out at the BJP. Taunting it for its tactics of splitting political parties for its own ends, he said that after the Shiv Sena and NCP, there was talk of it breaking the Congress. “How many deputy CMs do they want?” he asked in a snide reference to Ajit Pawar. “Soon there will be a pyramid of deputy CMs like the dahi handi pyramid at Janmashtami. Devendra ji may have to become muster mantri to take a roll call on how many people have come in.”

The Sena (UBT) chief said that on August 30 and September 1, there would be a meeting of the united opposition alliance, INDIA, in Mumbai. “We are opponents of those who are against India,” he said. “PM Modi has made comments on this and likened us to the Indian Mujahideen. When PM Modi goes to the US, is he going as the head of the Indian Mujahideen?”

Thackeray also read out a newspaper report about Modi asking National Democratic Alliance MPs to get rakhis tied from Muslim women. “Before doing this, they must get rakhis tied from the women in Manipur who faced atrocities,” he said. “And if they want rakhis tied from Muslim women, they must get a rakhi tied from Bilkis Bano who was gang-raped in the Gujarat violence of 2002. Do you agree with this kind of Hindutva? I left the BJP for this fakeness.”

In another jibe, the Sena UBT chief asked why, when ‘Vishwaguru’ Modi was ruling India, did Hindus feel the need to come out with a Hindu Jan Akrosh Morcha (Hindu anger rally)? He also likened the BJP to Mughal emperor Aurangzeb for breaking the Shiv Sena and NCP. “The BJP has no workers,” he said. “In Assam, they had a CM imported from another party. In Mumbai, they have been treacherous with the Shiv Sena, which is treachery with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.”

The Sena (UBT) chief also asked Shiv Sainiks and Sambhaji Brigade workers not to get trapped in the BJP’s manoeuvrings. “There is a possibility that they will engineer riots in the country. It is their last hope,” he said.

Thackeray, however, declared that they did not want to finish Modi. “Modi is not my enemy and I don’t have a personal fight with him,” he said. “It is his thoughts and mentality that we must finish. I feel bad that when the BJP was untouchable in the country, my father had supported them.” Thackeray also declared: “Even if the BJP uses its full might, it will not be able to finish Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray.”