‘Even Pakistan can say who Shiv Sena belongs to, but EC can’t’

Addressing a mammoth rally of his party at Pachora in the Jalgaon district of north Maharashtra, Thackeray thanked his supporters for coming to the public meeting in large numbers even if he had nothing to offer after he lost the party name and symbol to the rebel group

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said seeing the support he is getting from people, even Pakistan will tell whom the real Shiv Sena belongs to, but the Election Commission (EC) cannot do so as it is “suffering from cataract”.

Addressing a mammoth rally of his party at Pachora in the Jalgaon district of north Maharashtra, Thackeray thanked his supporters for coming to the public meeting in large numbers even if he had nothing to offer after he lost the party name and symbol to the rebel group. (HT Photo)

Thackeray also said that his party and supporters would ensure that “traitors” would be politically finished, a reference to chief minister Eknath Shinde and his supporting MLAs, whose rebellion led to the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in June 2022.

Addressing a mammoth rally of his party at Pachora in the Jalgaon district of north Maharashtra, Thackeray thanked his supporters for coming to the public meeting in large numbers even if he had nothing to offer after he lost the party name and symbol to the rebel group.

Those who won elections on his party’s ticket betrayed him, but those who got these people elected were with him, he asserted. “We will see to it that you are finished. We have cleansed the blot on the state created due to the treachery. Maharashtra is the land of brave people and not traitors,” Thackeray said and asked the party workers if they would fight till the victory. The former chief minister asked the BJP to clarify if it would contest the state Assembly elections next year under the leadership of Eknath Shinde.

He also said that questions raised by Satya Pal Malik were not answered and now there is a CBI inquiry against him.

He said that BJP does not want any other party in the country to survive and hence they keep poaching leaders from other parties.

Thackeray did not spare Prime Minister Modi either during his speech. “Modi would ask questions to the people gathered for his rallies, whether the problems have been resolved. Now I want to ask them if the inflation has reduced and the income of the farmers has reduced.”

He also said that when the farmers are struggling to live. “Modi’s friend Adani has become one of the richest persons in the world. And our farmers are dying. If he (Adani) is a successful industrialist, come out with a book on his success story,” he said.

Thackeray said the dynasty is better because it has a legacy to showcase. “But some people have no background at all to look up to,” he said.

Thackeray said that MLAs had left him, but the voters who had elected them are still with him. He also appealed to them to stand by him and teach a lesson to traitors. “I do not want your sympathy, but I want you to teach a lesson to traitors and show that this soil belongs to brave people...I am not afraid of BJP, but I am afraid of how we are going to repair the damage BJP has done to the country.”

Responding to BJP’s criticism that Thackeray swayed away from Hindutva by joining hands with Congress and NCP, Thackeray asked the BJP to declare what Hindutva meant to it. “Does Hindutva mean a cow slaughter ban in some parts of the country and attacks on women, murder of people on the suspicion of carrying cow meat?” he asked. He said saffron doesn’t look nice in the hands of traitors. “Since they have nothing of their own, they steal from others,” he alleged.

He also said the intention behind holding the Maharashtra Bhushan award in an open ground amid the scorching summer heat last Sunday, which was attended by lakhs of people, was not good.

Fourteen people died after suffering from sunstroke at the event held at Kharghar in Raigad district, where Union minister Amit Shah honoured social worker Appasaheb Dharmadhikari with the Maharashtra Bhushan Award. Terming BJP ‘s politics as “appalling”, Thackeray said it forces opposition leaders to join the party by levelling allegations of corruption against them.

State BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule slammed Thackeray for not giving enough respect to PM Modi while delivering his speech. “In a singular reference, you said there is nobody behind Modi. You have forgotten that Modi has the blessings of crores of people and the country is his family. Modi had left his family at a young age and how would he have an infatuation with his family? You are fascinated with your family. That has been the reason why your own left you and diminished you to this state.”