Strap: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief calls for bringing down the dictatorial regime
MUMBAI At its annual Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park on Tuesday, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray launched a sharp attack at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and at chief minster Eknath Shinde.
The BJP, he said, was trying to undermine Mumbai’s importance to benefit Gujarat. And the CM was aiding and abetting BJP in this project. Although he did not make a direct reference to industrialist Gautam Adani, he also brought up the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP) to say the BJP was favouring a particular industrialist and assured he will look into the project.
Citing the growth of industry in Gujarat over Maharashtra, he said, “You want to loot Mumbai as revenge for King Shivaji’s army looting Surat. You undermine the civic body and get Niti Ayog to decide its future. You appoint a builder as its guardian minister.” He blamed CM Shinde for collaborating with BJP to execute this conspiracy. “We will bury them deep in the ground if they try to finish Mumbai.”
On the issue of Dharavi’s redevelopment, Thackeray said, “Some months ago, BJP government gave the DRP to PM Modi’s friend. I am going to take this issue separately and visit Dharavi.” Thackeray alleged that the contractor for Dharavi’s redevelopment would get 150 crore square feet floor space index (FSI) to sell in real estate as profit from the project.
{{/usCountry}}On the issue of Dharavi’s redevelopment, Thackeray said, “Some months ago, BJP government gave the DRP to PM Modi’s friend. I am going to take this issue separately and visit Dharavi.” Thackeray alleged that the contractor for Dharavi’s redevelopment would get 150 crore square feet floor space index (FSI) to sell in real estate as profit from the project.
{{/usCountry}}“Instead of filling the pockets of your friend, houses should be built in Dharavi and given to government employees and mill workers’ families; also affordable houses should be created for Marathi people,” he demanded.
The party’s 57th Dussehra rally saw a ground packed with Sena workers, many even spilling off the grounds. Party workers who attended the rally were charged with Thackeray’s determination to fight BJP-Shiv Sena. “He has shown the determination to fight against the powerful coalition government. It infuses party workers with confidence to prepare for the upcoming elections,” said Sanjay Kadam, a party worker at the rally. Bala Jadhav, from Parel, warmed up to Thackeray speak for the “Marathi manoos while raising his voice against the DRP”. Another party office bearer from Ghatkopar, Suresh Patil, said Thackeray’s message was clear, and the BJP-Shiv Sena combine “should brace itself for the consequences of their deeds in the elections”.
Thackeray advocated an inclusive alliance government in the interest of nation instead of “single party autocratic regime” and urged people “to burn the throne of dictatorial regime of BJP at the Centre”.
He compared prime minister Narendra Modi’s regime with that of Adolf Hitler’s in Germany, and said, due to him, the “the country lost it reputation; and now the Germans hate Hitler; we have also realised the true ugly face of the Modi government which is using the mask of Hindutva”.
He underscored how how a single party government “caused instability in the country”. “Have your problems been solved? In fact, we have seen that the governments that were not firm in the saddle performed much better – look at the governments run by Narasimha Rao, Atalji and Manmohan Singh,” he said. The subtext of the opposition INDIA coalition was writ large.
Attacking BJP and the PM on corruption, MP Sanjay Raut, said, “Prafulla Patel who was accused of land deal with the Iqbal Mirchi, close aide of underworld gangster Dawood Ibrahim, is now a BJP partner. BJP and Dawood have become brothers now.”
Other leaders accompanying Thackeray on the stage were senior party leaders Leeladhar Dake, Subhash Desai, Diwakar Raote, Bhaskar Jadhav, Anand Gite and Aaditya Thackeray.